Valentines Day Dinner

As i was working late on valentines day i could not cook a nice meal for Mrs Monday Baker,so i decided to do it on Saturday when i would be at home before her.(Mrs Monday Baker actually did me a nice meal on Valentines Day.Pasta,home baked sun dried tomato rolls and a lovely homemade plain chocolate cheesecake) and able to surprise her.My menu i chose was,

Mountain Macaroni.
Cherry Tomato and Rosemary Foccacia,to go with the macaroni.
and Velvety Chocolate Pots for dessert.

The Mountain Macaroni was a recipe from Nigellas Italian Christmas pullout from the Saturday Mail.It said it served 6-8 which i didn't really pay much attention to.This proved to be a mistake as i had so much pasta dish when i had cooked it that i had enough to fill up 2 big dishes before i baked it.On the other hand it meant that we had dinner for another night as well.
                                      

                                         Mountain Macaroni

Ingredients

500g(18oz)(About 2)baking potatoes,peeled and cut into 4cm cubes.
2 teaspoons salt.
5009/18oz Penne pasta.
2 teaspoons garlic oil(Or olive oil).
350g/12oz Pancetta cubes.
2 echalion or banana shallots,peeled and chopped.
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme.
100ml/3 1/2 fl oz dry white wine.
300ml/1/2 pt double cream.
Nutmeg.
200g/7oz Gruyere,grated.

Recipe

1.Preheat the oven to 220 degrees c/gas mark 7.
2.Fill a large pan of water to cook the pasta in.
3.Add the potato cubes and salt and put on to boil.
4.When it has come to the boil leave for 5 minutes to bubble away.
5.Add the pasta and cook for a little less time than it says on the packet.You need it slightly more al dente(Firm but not hard) than normal.
6.Heat the oil in a pan and add the pancetta cubes.
7.Cook for 4-5 minutes,stirring frequently,until the fat begins to render(Although the pancetta will be far from crisp),and add the shallots and the thyme.
8.Stir every now and then,cooking the shallots and pancetta together for 4-5 minutes more,or until the pancetta is crisping up and the shallots are soft.
9.Take the pan off the heat and set aside until the pasta is ready.
10.When you are close to draining the pasta(2 minutes or so),put the pan of  pancetta back on the heat and when it starts sizzling add the wine and let it bubble away.
11.Add the cream and nutmeg.
12.Check that your potatoes and pasta are ready.
13.Remove and reserve a cupful of the cooking water.
14.Drain the pasta and potatoes and put them back in the pan they were cooked in.
15.Pour the pancetta mixture over the pasta and potatoes and toss together,adding your cup of cooking water as you go.
16.Add half of the cheese and toss again.
17.When it is well incorporated add most of the rest of the cheese and toss again.
18.Tip into a large pan.
19.Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
20.Pop into the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the top is a pale gold.

 

If i was to do this again,which i probably will as it was a great dish,i would use slightly less expensive ingredients(Well it was valentines so i had to splash out).I would substitute ordinary bacon pieces for the pancetta,Cheddar cheese for the Gruyere and ordinary onions for the eschalions shallots.This would still make for a great tasting dish.The addition of potatoes by the way was a fantastic idea and one which i may use in other pasta dishes.It is a great way to bulk up a dpasta dish.


                                         Cherry Tomato and Rosemary Foccacia

Ingredients

5 tbsp olive oil.
2 garlic cloves,crushed.
350g white flour.
2 tsp salt.
2 tsp yeast.
1 tsp caster sugar.
225ml/8fl oz lukewarm water.
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary.
200-225g/7-8 ripe red cherry tomatoes.

Recipe

1.Mix 2 tablespoons of the oil and all of the garlic together,then set aside.
2.Add the flour and salt together in a bowl.
3.Add the yeast.
4.Add the sugar.
5.Add the remaining oil.
6.Add the water.
7.Mix to a dough.
8.Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
9.Knead in 1 tablespoon of the garlic flavoured oil.
10.Brush a baking tin with oil.
11.Press the dough over the base of the tin with your hands.
12.Brush with the remaining garlic oil.
13.Scatter over the rosemary.
13.Cover with clingfilm and set aside for about 1 hour until puffed up and doubled up in size.
14.Preheat the oven to 230 degrees C/Gas mark 8/450 degrees F.
15.When it has doubled in size remove the clingfilm.
16.Scatter the tomatoes over the foccacia.
17.Press the tomatoes into the dough.
18.Place in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the heat to 200 degrees C/Gas mark 6/400 degrees F.
19.Bake for 25-30 minutes,or until fim and golden brown.

I actually have a Foccacia baking tin so i just shaped it into a round ball at step 11.This seemed to bake it really well,at least on the base.The dough inside was undercooked but still edible.Not bad for a first attempt at Foccacia.


                                     Velvety Chocolate Pots

Ingredients

300g milk chocolate.
500ml double cream.
50g caster sugar.
25ml brandy.
200g raspberries.

Recipe

1.Break 250g of the cocolate into a heatproof glass bowl.
2.Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.
3.Leave it there until the chocolate has melted.
4.Once silky and smooth,remove from the heat and cool for around 5 minutes.
5.Whisk the cream and sugar together until you have very soft peaks.
6.Stir in the brandy until combined.
7.Pour the chocolate mixture into your prefered dish.(Small dishes are prefferable as it is quite a rich pudding).
8.Chill chocolate,after it has been poured into the dishes,for 2 hours.
9.Just before serving grate the remaining chocolate over the puddings.
10.Top with raspberries.

This dish was chosen because it looked a fairly simple dish to make.This was needed as the other 2 dishes were going to occupy my time.Unfortunately this proved to be wrong.
I like to do things the old fashioned way so was whisking the mixture by hand.After five minutes i was getting nowwhere and my arm felt like it was going to drop off,This caused me to get out the electric mixer.Thankfully this sped up the process.It was quite solid when i first served it but when Mrs Monday Baker served it up again the next night it was lighter as she had whisked it again.
This also made a huge amount,but this definitely didn't maatter as it was absolutely "scrummy"(as Mary Berry would say).
                             
                                          The Monday Baker.