The Family Cook Book

This recipe is the most famous in Sicily and comes from Trapani. We first tried it when we visited the beautiful island for a fabulous family holiday. Up until now we have been cooking an excellent version from one of Rick Stein's books but Since Gus bought this lovely book and we tried this I think it's shaded it and become my favourite version. The thing that, for me, makes this one interesting is the idea of pounding the almonds, garlic and parsley into a paste. ingredients 250gms cous cous 350gms fish fillet (could include uncooked prawns) 1 small onion, finely chopped 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus a little extra if you like 1 small dried chili 1 bay leaf 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons blanched almonds 1 garlic clove 350ml light fish stock 1 tin chopped tomatoes Method Fry the onion in 4 ½ tablespoons of the oil with the chili and bay leaf over a medium heat until soft and golden – about 10 minutes. Chop the parsle...

Its been a while, not sure how I managed to let work get in the way of blogging ... anyway here's a little simple supper dish from Rick Stein that I was reminded of by Saturday Kitchen yesterday. It also meant that I visited a local Italian deli for the first time where I had a nice chat with the Sicilian owner and his mother. They sell the perfect sausages for this dish which are called luganega, which normally come in one long length. If you are using ordinary sausages, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds to the onions when frying. Ingredients 450g/1lb luganega sausages 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 750g/1½lb small waxy potatoes, peeled and each cut into quarters ½ lemon, pared zest (I did mine on a microplane) and juice only 4 fresh bay leaves 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper 120ml/4fl oz water method Preheat the oven to 180C/350F Twist the sausa...

Cranberry and white chocolate cookies Makes 30 150g unsalted butter, softened 165g firmly packed-brown sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract 125g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder a pinch of salt 200g rolled oats 1400g white-chocolate chunks 85g dried cranberries Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4 and line three baking trays with baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the oats, chocolate and cranberries and stir together. Add to the creamed mixture and stir together well. Roll small tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on the baking trays. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 12-15 minutes until pale golden. Leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Bill Granger's Holiday is published by Murdoch Books, £19.99. To order a copy for £18.99 with free UK p&p...

I made this recipe from Jamie on Saturday night pairing it with Ottolenghi's roast vegetables.Be warned, this is not for those of you watching your cholesterol, it is however delicious. ingredients for the lamb • a large bunch of fresh rosemary • 1 x 2kg shoulder of lamb • olive oil • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 bulb of garlic, unpeeled, broken into cloves for the sauce • 1 tablespoon flour • 500ml good-quality hot chicken or vegetable stock • 2 heaped tablespoons capers, soaked, drained and chopped • a large bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Preheat your oven to full whack. Slash the fat side of the lamb all over with a sharp knife. Lay half the sprigs of rosemary and half the garlic cloves on the bottom of a high-sided roasting tray, rub the lamb all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place it in the tray on top of the rosemary and garlic, and put the rest of the rosemary and garlic on top of the lamb. Tightly c...

We had this as a starter when the Sweeneys visited us on Saturday night. I have blogged about it before but here it is just for you Liz, complete with added cheat. I have to confess that I used the vacuum packed pre-cooked beetroot that you can buy in the veg section at Waitrose. Whilst I'm sure it tastes better if you cook them yourself this definitely saves alot of effort. ingredients 900g beetroot, thoroughly washed 4 heaped tbsp chopped dill 1 small red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced 160g creamy Greek yogurt For the relish 2 yellow peppers 3 tbsp olive oil 1½ tsp coriander seeds 400g tin chopped plum tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp sugar Salt and black pepper 3 tbsp preserved lemon skin, chopped 2 tbsp each chopped parsley and coriander leaves This is yet another recipe from the fabulous 'Plenty' by Ottolenghi. Method First boil the beetroots whole in plenty of water until cooked through. This can take anything up to 60 minutes - check by piercing them wit...

Yet another recipe from Plenty. Couscous is one of those things you either love or hate ... if your a hater stop reading now. If you're a lover like me you will really appreciate this new spin on a couscous salad Green Couscous Ingredients 150g couscous 160ml boiling water or stock 1 small onion thinly sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cumin 50g shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped 3 spring onions finely sliced 1 fresh green chilli finely sliced 30g rocket chopped Herb paste 20g parsley 20g coriander 2tbsp chopped tarragon 2tbsp chopped chilli 2tbsp chopped mint 90ml good olive oil Method put the couscous in a heat-proof bowl, cover with the boiling water, then cover the bowl with a plate and leave for 10 minutes. Thinly slice a small onion, fry til soft and golden in a little oil, then add a the cumin, salt and mix. Leave to cool. Next make the paste.In a food processor, whizz up all the ingredients until smooth. Mix the herb paste into the co...

well actually my top seventeen now! In response to a request from Hot meat (or Mr Coldham as others know him) I have added a top ten category to the blog. I actually added it a while ago but I think I forgot to mention it. Its a guide to the things we cook again and again and heartily recommend you try