Lemony Snickett...

I'm sharing this with you because I love you, I must do in order to divulge simply the easiest but most scumptious of all sauces... It goes on pasta of course (what doesn't?) but is amazing poured over skewered prawns, or as a dip for raw vegetables... You can smother cauliflower in it, broccoli, anything and its immediately transformed into a dinner party dish...

I know I'm terribly boring, yet another pasta sauce, yet another lemon dish... but if something is this good you just gotta eat! We always eat this in Italy, during our summers there, and this is the first time we'd made it at home... It was delicious but is even more so eaten outside on a terrazza, with a small breeze playing with your toes, the strong sunshine on your neck and an afternoon by the river to look forward to...

We call it Lemony Snickett, thought up by our darling Mary who loves anything lemony.

Here is her top five lemon favorites, this sauce is at number three so let that be your guide...

1)Lemon fondants

2) Fanta Lemon

3) Lemony Snickett sauce

4)Iced tea with Lemon

5) Bandi Brooks Lemon Sorbet

Lemony Snickett

or

Creamy Lemon Sauce

 

You'll need

Half an Onion

3 cloves garlic

125mls double cream

3 tbs parmesan cheese

2 tbs goats/cream cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil

S+P

Method

Put a good handsome glug of oil into a saucepan and add the onions and garlic, stir until soft and translucent.  Add the parmesan and the goats cheese, then the lemon zest and juice.  Stir in the hot oil until the zest breaks easily with the back of a fork.  Take off the heat.  Stir in the cream and add salt and pepper. Perfect... 

Mint anyone?

One of my favorite pasta sauces has to be eaten on a day where I've nowhere to be, or nobody to see... because it is the equivalent of eating the stinkiest crisps they sell!

Here it is - you must try it and be sure to let me know what you think!

Raw Onion Sauce for Pasta

Chop 1 onion, a half a mild chili and a clove of garlic together.

Pop into the food processor with a good slug of virgin olive oil and blitz until its smooth.  

Add a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese, a tub of creme fraiche and some salt and pepper.

Done!

Stir through hot pasta and eat! I often put french beans into boil with my pasta, no matter what sauce I'm making, its a great way of making a little go a long way!

A bit o' the Divil!

I love anything with "Devil" in the title... makes it more tempting somehow... Which would you choose Angel Cake or Devils Food Cake?

So it is fitting that my favorite Tomato Sauce is the Devils! Diavola! Amazing with and on absolutley everything!

Tonight I made it for Pizza... It was really good. Here is the recipe.

Pizza Diavola

For the base

made from 450gms bread flour, 1 sachet yeast, tbsp olive oil, tsp salt, tsp sugar.

Knead and rise etc as here but when ready to bake pour a good bit of olive oil into your hands and pull the dough into a pizza shape.

For the Sauce.

Tin of tomatoes

1 Onion, chopped

10 cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red chilli, chopped

Soften the onions and garlic in the oil over a medium heat and then add the rest of the ingredients bar the cherry tomatoes. simmer for about five/ten minutes until onions are well cooked and then blitz in a food processor until smooth. Add more oil to the original pan and fry the cherry tomatoes until soft and then add to the sauce.

Keeps in the fridge for a week!

Top the pizza base with the Diavola sauce and any other bits and pieces you like, I used chicken, salami, olives, goats cheese, rocket and mozzerella.

Easy cheesy...

I had to title this post that way but I do apologise to those who find 'cheesiness' offensive!!

You'll need

Large knob butter

Tbsp flour

Half a pint of milk

Lots of cheese (gruyere, cheddar,parmesan... whatever you have, whatever you like)

Sprig of rosemary (bash it a bit with a rolling pin or knife handle)

salt and pepper

Method

In a heavy based pan melt the butter, then whisk in the flour, it'll be lumpy but don't worry. Pour in the milk, this is now a white sauce which can be used for anything! Add the rosemary and let the sauce thicken up, salt and pepper. Then grate in the cheese, little by little until melted. Depending on what type of hob you have you may be better off taking the pan off direct heat.

Taste and season accordingly. Its so easy I guarantee you will never buy cheese sauce again! Add fried bacon for a tasty stir through!

We always serve this with gnocchi... its real comfort food! its also amazing on steak, or poured over roast potatoes!