Asparagus Angel Hair Pasta

angel hair pasta

minced garlic
fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine or champagne
dill
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 avocado, mashed
jalapeno juice
shredded cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add angel hair pasta, cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until al dente; drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent stickiness.

2. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and tomatoes, stirring to coat.

3. Pour in the broth and champagne mixture, and continue cooking uncovered 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender, but still bright green.

4. Place the pasta in a large bowl, and toss with the asparagus and tomato mixture. Season with dill and pepper.

5. In a separate bowl, mix the avocados, and jalapeno juice together until blended. Serve pasta with a dollop of the avocado mixture, and top with shredded cheese.

***Optional, you can add chicken, bacon or prawns.

Recipe and photo from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Asparagus-Angel-Hair-Pasta/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Spiral Herb Bread

Makes: 2 loaves

3 cups strong white bread flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp salt
2 x 7 g / 1/4 oz sachets rapid rise yeast
2 1/2 cups hand-hot water
2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper
milk, for glazing

Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl then stir in salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre and add enough of the water to make a rough dough. Knead on a lighly floured surface for about 10 minutes, until smooth.

Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the spring onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the parsley with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly grease 2x 1lb loaf pans. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece into a 35x23cm (14x9 in.) rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half the herb mixture taking it just to the edges of the dough.

Roll up each rectangle loosely from a short side. Pinch the ends of each roll to seal. Place each roll in loaf pan, cover loosely with oiled clear film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 190C (375F)

Glaze loaves with milk. Bake for 50 minutes.

Potato Salad

Serves: 12- 14

5 pounds red-skinned potatoes, well scrubbed
5 hard boiled eggs
1 large red or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 medium celery ribs, finely chopped
2 Tsp celery seed
1 1/2 Tsp seasoned salt
1/4 Tsp black pepper
1 Tbps parsely
1/2 Tsp onion powder
3/4 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp crushed red pepper
2/3 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
3-4 Tbsp yellow mustard
Paprika for sprinkling

Boil the potatoes until fully cooked. Rinse in cold water. Remove the skins and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch dice and place in a large bowl. Chop three of the eggs and add to potatoes, along with onion, green pepper and celery. Season with celery seed, seasoned salt, pepper, parsley, onion and garlic poweders and crushed red pepper.

Gently stir in mayonnaise and mustard. Use a large spoon or hands to do this - thoroughly combine but not smash the potatoes. Slice the remaining eggs and place on top of the salad. Sprinkle with paprika.

Lemonade

3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 lemons, freshly squeezed

Combine water, sugar, lemon juice in a medium jug. Chill and serve.

Macaroni & Cheese

Serves: 2

Melted margarine, to grease
145g (1 cup) dried macaroni pasta
40g (1/2 cup) grated cheddar

White sauce
375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
20g (1 tbs) margarine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs cornflour
125ml (1/2 cup) water


Preheat oven to 250°C. Brush a 1-litre (4-cup) ovenproof dish with the melted margarine to lightly grease.

Cook the macaroni in a medium saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, heat milk and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Combine cornflour and water and stir in gradually. Bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until thick.
Drain the macaroni. Add to the white sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to greased dish and sprinkle with cheddar. Cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11952/macaroni+cheese