papardelle with cauliflower, garlic breadcrumbs and pine nuts

It's not often that you find pasta dishes with cauliflower but this one is a staple in my repertoire. It has great texture ...crunchiness from the breadcrumbs and pine nuts and the creaminess of cauliflower. The florets have to be cooked until really soft. It is a great way to add nutritional value to your meal - I specifically steam the florets so it retains all the goodness.



Ingredients:
1 cauliflower - cut into florets
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
4 - anchovy fillets, minced
1 cup - fresh breadcrumbs made from day old french bread
2 tbsp. - pine nuts
1 tsp. - parsley, chopped
olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup stock (chicken or vege.)

Method:
Steam the florets until cooked through and soft, rough chop and set aside. Boil water for the pasta in the mean time with plenty of salt.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add sliced garlic and saute until golden. Then add breadcrumbs and pine nuts, parsley and toss for a few minutes until golden. Then remove and cool on a plate.

Now for the sauce, heat some oil in a skillet, add the minced anchovy fillets and stir until they disintegrate and flavour the oil. Skip the anchovies for a vegetarian version but they do add great flavour! Then add the chili flakes and then the cauliflower and cook for a few minutes. Add stock as needed to combine and form a sauce.

Cook the pasta until al dente, then add to the sauce and toss. Top with bread crumbs , drizzle some good olive oil and serve.

Curried oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are really delicate when fresh and are delectable in curries with a surprisingly firm texture when cooked. These are the easiest wild mushrooms to find in super markets year round, esp. in the NW but this recipe is great for maitake mushrooms too.

This version in fond memory of my grand mom who loved mushrooms and cooked them in so many memorable ways!





Ingredients:
4 cups -Mushrooms, torn to pieces
1 medium red onion (sliced)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp. coriander (chopped)
oil
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. creme fraiche

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the bay leaf to flavour the oil, then add the onions and saute with a bit of salt to make the onions sweat. Meanwhile, discard the tough parts of the stalks and simply tear the mushrooms into bite size pieces. When translucent, add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms wilt and are cooked (around 5 mins.). Then, add the curry powder and peas and toss until the peas are cooked.

Finally add the creme fraiche and combine, add the coriander and salt to taste. It should give a really creamy consistency. Serve with rice, roti or with french bread.