🥘 Carole’s chicken carbonara…

This twist on the classic carbonara is quick and easy to make. Make sure you have your ingredients ready because it all comes together fast at the end of cooking.

🥘 2 🍽 Serves 4-6 🛒 10 ingredients ⏱ 15 minutes £12

Ingredients:

350g (12oz) dried tagliatelle
1 tbsp oil
3 chicken breasts (about 175g/6oz each), each cut into four
2 egg yolks (keep the whites – see notes below)
150ml (5fl oz) pouring double cream
75g (3oz) Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
175g (6oz) dry-cured streaky bacon, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful of small basil leaves

Step by step:

Step 1

Heat a large saucepan of salted water, then add the tagliatelle and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain in a colander, reserving 6 tablespoons of the cooking water, then return the drained pasta to the warm pan. Fry off your bacon and onions, set them aside.

Step 2

While you’re cooking the pasta, place a large griddle pan on a high heat and when hot, add the oil. Fry the chicken pieces for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside to keep warm.

Step 3

While the chicken is cooking, place the egg yolks, cream and Parmesan in a bowl, season well with salt and pepper and stir until combined.

Step 4

Return the bacon and onions to the frying pan, add the garlic and fry for another minute. Transfer the griddled bacon and garlic to the drained tagliatelle in the saucepan, pour in the cream mixture and toss together well. Loosen with a little of the pasta cooking water if required.

Step 5

Add a portion of the pasta to each plate, twisting some of the tagliatelle around a fork to form a nest. Sit two or three pieces of chicken in a cross on top of each and sprinkle with basil leaves and extra Parmesan.

Notes:

It is important to take your pan off the heat step 4 and stir in the eggs quickly, you want the eggs to remain silky but not scrambled.

Save your egg whites to use later in a pavlova, they freeze well. Carole’s Pavlova HERE

We’ve used 3 Marks & Spencer higher welfare chicken breasts and double cream which is available in store or online via Ocado

Need some new tongs? Oliver’s have two for £9 in their Sale…

🥘 Carole’s tagliatelle with trout, lemon and dill…

This recipe is adapted from Rukmini Iyer’s Quick and Easy Linguine. Use pre-packed trout or salmon fillets to make it an even faster preparation and no need to use the oven.

Ingredients:

2 trout fillets
2½ tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Juice and finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus 2 lemon slices
180g tagliatelle
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 large courgette, trimmed and coarsely grated
10g fresh dill, roughly chopped
4 tbsp pine nuts, or 4 tbsp M&S nut and seed mix

Step by step:

Step 1

Heat your oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Place the trout fillets on a small lined baking tray, drizzle with half a tablespoon of olive oil, scatter over a pinch of sea salt and top each fillet with a slice of lemon. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just cooked through. (If you are using your air-fryer, the fish will take eight to 10 minutes.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions, until just al dente. While the pasta is boiling, get all the remaining ingredients ready.

**Sainsbury’s Fresh tagliatelle £2.40 / 500g**

Step 2

Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Return the empty pasta pan to the hob on a low heat, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, then fry the garlic, chilli and lemon zest for just 30 seconds.

**Add black olives to the courgette for extra flavour**

Step 3

Add the grated courgette, fry for a minute, until just starting to soften, then add the drained pasta, dill, lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well – there should be enough liquid from the courgette to form a sauce, add a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water if necessary. Flake the cooked trout in large pieces into the pasta, then stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Step 4

Use tongs to divide the pasta and trout evenly between two warmed bowls, top with the pine nuts and serve hot.

We used Sainsbury’s Scottish Loch trout fillets. The sweet chilli salmon fillets from Sainsbury’s were also very tasty. Iceland’s ginger, chilli and lime salmon fillets are also excellent. They all come in 2 X 240g fillets.

Tips:

Use spaghetti or linguine if you prefer
Use fresh chillies (with or without seeds)
If you don’t like garlic, use onions

🥘 Carole’s homemade granola…

*🥘 1 pan and 2 mixing bowls 🍽 Serves 12 🛒 4 ⏱ 30 mins £8 (V) (LF)* (LS)

Nothing quite beats the taste of homemade granola and once you get used to making your own, shop bought will never taste as good again. Use nuts of your choice, we use Sainsbury’s So Organic mixed nuts. Not the cheapest option, but they give great results.

Ingredients:

350g oats
300g mixed nuts
120g light butter
100g honey

Step by step:

1 Set your oven to 160C (140C fan), gas 3.

2 Stir and mix together the oats and nuts in a large bowl.

3 Melt the butter and honey, and stir well to combine. We do this in the microwave for convenience, otherwise use a saucepan over a medium low heat.

4 Tip the butter and honey mixture into the bowl of oats and nuts. Stir well so the granola mix is well coated with the butter and honey.

5 Spread the granola mix on a baking tray and place on a low shelf in the pre-heated oven. Keep checking the mixture every 10 minutes and keep turning the mixture so it cooks evenly.

**Clover Light £2.45 / 500g Sainsbury’s**

**Sainsbury’s *So Organic* Mixed Nuts £5 / 300g**

🥘 Aldi chicken burger with Spanish style grains…

Out in the caravan, this is a quick and delicious meal. Cook your burgers on the George Foreman grill, and the grains in the microwave.

🥘 1 pan 🍽 Serves 2 🛒 2 ingredients ⏱ 15 minutes £5

Ingredients:

2 Roosters 100% chicken burgers
1 pack Spanish style grains

Step by step:

Cook your burgers on the grill and pop your Spanish style grains either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
Rustle up a salad and dressing or boil some peas.

Notes:

Rooster chicken burgers contain fewer nasties than many other processed foods and are a good quick on-the-go meal. They are low fat and a little salty, so you only need a good grind of black pepper for seasoning.

The Spanish style grains are a nice blend of whole long grain rice, and black rice, spiced with chilli flakes, smoked paprika and yeast extract.

🥘 Spaghetti with garlic and oil…

Spaghetti aglio e olio has to be one of the world’s greatest dishes. Just a few ingredients, cooked well and you have the perfect lunch.

🥘 2 pans 🍽 Serves 4 🛒 6 ingredients ⏱ 30 minutes £3 V

Ingredients:

400g spaghetti
3 fresh red chillies
3 garlic cloves
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and black pepper

Step by step:

Cook the spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until it is soft but still has a little bite.
While the spaghetti is cooking, remove the seeds and pith from the chillies and chop them finely. Peel and finely slice the garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook the garlic and chillies gently for a few minutes.
Drain the spaghetti and add it to the frying pan, mix to coat with the oil.
Sprinkle the spaghetti with the parsley, season with salt and serve.

Notes:

Leave the seeds and pith in the chillies if you want it a little hotter

🥘 Spaghetti with courgette, chilli and chorizo…

🥘 2 pans 🍽 Serves 2 🛒 10 ingredients ⏱ 30 minutes £6

Chorizo, courgettes and chillies added to a basic carbonara make a delicious, quick and easy lunch or weeknight supper. Quartering and slicing your courgette and finely slicing the spring onions gives an attractive finish.

Ingredients:

150g spaghetti
50g lardons
50g chorizo, chopped
1 medium size courgette, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small chilli, chopped (optional)
50ml single cream (optional)
1 pinch chilli flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
basil, a good handful

Step by step:

Step 1

Put your spaghetti on to cook as per the pack instructions, minus about one minute than stated cooking time.

Step 2

Prepare your ingredients and cook off the lardons, chorizo for a couple of minutes until they are nice and crispy. Add the courgette and chilli. After approximately 5 minutes, turn the heat down.

Step 3

Add your spaghetti to the pan, using tongs and stir in a little cream and cook for about a minute on the low heat. Add a splash or two of the pasta cooking water if needed. If you want more of a classic carbonara flavour, add a beaten egg with some grated parmesan to the sauce.

Step 4

We have used a thin spaghetti and made a light creamy sauce, Penne also works well. Chilli flakes are always a favourite store cupboard item.

Stir the spaghetti through the other ingredients in the pan and check the pasta is done. Serve with the basil scattered over and a bowl of grated parmesan to the side. A squeeze of lemon juice is always welcome.

Using Penne, the pasta soaks up all the sauce and a good grating of parmesan on top to serve.

🥘 Carole’s Shakshuka with chorizo…

Shakshuka originates from North Africa and the Middle East and the name comes from the Arabic word meaning “mixed” or “shaken up”. Originally a vegetarian dish, it is often cooked with chorizo or merguez sausage.

**🥘 1 pot 🍽 Serves 2 🛒 13 ingredients ⏱ 30 minutes £5**

Did you know?

You can vary the colour of shakshuka, simply by changing the ingredients. Make it green using green peppers and chillies and chopped spinach. Yellow peppers and chopped butternut squash will give you a nice orange colour.

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
100g chorizo, sliced
2 roasted red peppers from a jar
1 garlic clove, minced or chopped
a good handful of coriander, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 birds eye chilli, chopped or chilli flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
Tomato sauce
4 fresh tomatoes
4 large eggs
chopped parsley and mint to garnish

Step by step:

Make the shakshuka sauce...

Step 1.

In a large lidded pan, sautee the chopped onions and chorizo and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add the peppers and garlic with a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt, coriander, paprika, cumin and chopped chilli, or chilli flakes (if using) and cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chop or mince your garlic to vary the flavour

Step 2.

Add the tomatoes and a good glug of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for about 15 mins. Uncover and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.

When the sauce is ready, add the eggs...

Step 3.

We added poached eggs separately on this occasion. Normally, we just make wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs.

Serve the dish in the pan garnished with the parsley and mint. Some crusty baguette is great for mopping up the sauce.

Tips and variations:

Use fresh peppers if you prefer
Chopped spinach goes well, added after 10 mins of cooking
Mince your garlic for a milder flavour
Add a drizzle of tahini when serving for extra flavour.

Use a sweet paprika – Tesco have a great one for £1

🥘 Whole wheat pasta…

Did you know?…

Whole wheat pasta is better for our health because the whole grain is milled and therefore it contains more nutrients than white pasta equivalents. The outer membrane contains a lot of fibre, vitamins and minerals including vitamins E and B plus magnesium and iron.

The higher vitamin content in whole wheat pasta increases phytochemicals that help protect against some cancers.

Consuming whole grains is beneficial in many ways including:

Heart health…

Recent studies have shown that people who eat the right amount of whole grains every day reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 30%.

Reduce your risk stroke and obesity by aiding weight control, digestive health and reducing calories intake and cholesterol levels.

Diabetes…

Whole grains help maintain insulin levels which in turn helps improve our body’s glucose control. Adequate intake of whole grains lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by around 30%.

Whole wheat pasta is not the cheapest option, but it is useful if you are making health conscious decisions about food. Whole wheat pasta has a lower glycemic index than refined pasta which means means it is helpful in controlling blood sugar levels.

Understanding Glycemic Index > Here

Cooking and preparation

You can cook most pasta recipes successfully using whole grain pasta. Whole wheat pasta tends to be brown in colour and has a nuttier taste. If you are using flavoursome pasta sauces the taste difference will be negligible.

Generally, whole wheat pasta takes a little longer to cook and overcooking will result in a mushy texture.

Photo courtesy Craig Melville – Acekreations

Best Buys

We have tried several brands and the overall winner in taste test and value for money is Barilla.

Barilla have recently done away with the plastic window on their packaging which together with a great flavour and mid price makes them our first choice. Fusilli £1.50 / 500g

Mr. Organic with paper bag packaging and nice flavour but nearly twice the price of Barilla was second choice. Fusilli £2.70 / 500g

Sainsbury’s was the cheapest (currently price matched to Aldi) and a good flavour. However, the plastic packet which tears very easily on opening made that third place. Fusilli 75p / 500g

Notes: Whole-wheat pasta contains gluten.

Win a new kitchen up to a value of £20,000 HERE

🥘 Carole’s nectarine, feta and yoghurt salad…

**🥘 1 mixing bowl 🍽 Serves 6 🛒 10 ingredients ⏱ 30 mins £6**

This combination of flavours makes a delicious summertime salad. Nectarines, tomatoes and basil with feta and Greek yoghurt – what’s not to love?

Ingredients:

3 ripe nectarines
3 large ripe tomatoes
Salt & black pepper
Basil – a large handful
7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
100g feta
200g full – fat greek yoghurt
50g chopped pistachios
1 tbsp zaatar

Step by step:

Cut your nectarines and tomatoes into bitesize wedges. Place them in a bowl and scatter over some sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Tear in the basil, add 4 tbsp of olive oil and the vinegar, leave to steep for 30 minutes.
Blitz half the feta with the yoghurt and a tablespoon of oil in a food processor until you have a smooth and silky dressing. Spoon this into a bowl, cover and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Chop your pistachios into small pieces and stir in the zaatar.
Assemble the nectarines, tomatoes and basil, spoon over the dressing. Finish by crumbling over the remaining feta and sprinkling over the pistachio and zaatar mixture.

**Serve with a small dish of extra dressing**

Tips and variations:

If your nectarines are under ripe, place them in a fruit bowl with some bananas for a day or so. If you want to use them straight away, pop the slices on a griddle pan and you will have nicely striped, soft, sweet fruit.
Add toasted breadcrumbs instead of nuts if you prefer, garnish with some anchovies or add some gherkins or capers.
Add some thinly sliced red onions and finely chopped garlic if you like a stronger flavour. If you want a really tangy flavour, substitute the feta for gorgonzola.

What is Zaatar? A spice used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. A combination of herbs, sesame seeds, sumac and salt, it is one of the world’s unique and best seasonings.

Choose a zaatar like the one shown above which contains sumac, cumin seeds, oregano and marjoram. Cheaper alternatives substitute these ingredients for citric acid.

🥘 Carole’s chorizo and broccoli pasta…

🥘 1 🍽 Serves 4 🛒 9 ingredients €5 ⏱ 25 minutes

Mid July at a beachside restaurant in Valencia, the sun was high and just a few wispy clouds dotted on the sky which merged seamlessly into the deep blue mediterranean sea.

All set for for a paella, I spotted a delicious pasta dish on the menu del dia and it was superb. After several attempts trying to recreate the dish at home, I’m happy with this effort.

**Chorizo – try Waitrose for great choices**

Ingredients:

400g penne
small head of broccoli, broken into small florets
200g chorizo, sliced
200g streaky bacon
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g mushrooms, chopped if large
1 tbsp fennel seeds (optional)
1 tin cherry tomatoes
basil leaves, to serve

These are both ideal chorizo to use in pasta. In this recipe we used the Dulce because we like the sweet paprika flavour. The Smoked chorizo also works well if you prefer a smoky flavour.

Step by step:

Cook the penne following pack instructions, adding the broccoli for the final 3 mins. When cooked, drain, reserving a splash of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, fry off the bacon in a large dry frying pan until it’s starting to brown. Remove it from the pan and set aside on kitchen towel. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen towel and fry off chorizo until it starts to turn golden and release its oils. Add the garlic and fennel seeds (if using), and cook for 1 min more.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently. Add back the fried bacon and stir to combine.
When the penne is cooked, tip it into the pan with the chorizo.
Serve in bowls, scattered with a few basil leaves and a good drizzle of best olive oil.

Notes:

Steam your broccoli florets in a separate saucepan if you wish. Personally, I think there’s no gain and only extra washing up.
I like to fry the bacon and remove it, before adding and frying off the chorizo. It keeps the flavours of bacon and chorizo separate which adds to the overall flavour of the dish.
Tinned cherry tomatoes work really well and they produce a lovely sauce. Add a quick squeeze of tomato puree if you want an even richer sauce.
Chorizo is one of my favourite ingredients. The paprika and oil that oozes from the meat as it cooks is perfect for pasta
We have used penne but rigatoni is also a good option. Any pasta tastes delicious if you like chorizo, bacon, mushroom and tomatoes in a paprika flavoured sauce.