Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs:)

Ok...food stuffed with another food can only lead to something being awesome right?!

These delicious meatballs are stuffed with mozzarella. The mozzarella melts inside the meatball and goes all gooey and stringy and is just so moorish :)

You can use any herb/ spice combo you want in the meatballs but I kept it simple with some garlic and oregano. I am a very big garlic fan and this recipe calls for 4 garlic cloves...feel free to tone down the garlic-ness if you feel like it might be too much!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs:)
Serves 4-

Ingredients:
Meatballs-
500g Minced Meat
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
50g Breadcrumbs
75g Mozzarella, cubed into 12 pieces
Small Handful Fresh Parsley, chopped
Sauce-
1 Small Red Onion, diced
2 Roasted Red Peppers, from a jar,drained and stripped
2 Tablespoons Tomato Purée
200ml Beef Stock, I used a Knorr cube
Handful of Fresh Parsley, chopped
To Serve-
Penne Pasta, Garlic Bread and Salad.

Method:
1. Mix the meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, herbs together and season.
2. With clean wet hands roll the meat mixture into 12 meatballs.
3. Taking a meatball at a time and one piece of cubed mozzarella, poke the cheese into their centre of the meatballs and re-roll so it is fully enclosed.
4. Repeat this until all the meat mixture and cheese is gone.
5. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 min while you make your sauce.
6. Heat some olive oil and fry your diced red onion for about 10 mins.
7. Add the tomato purée, stock, peppers and parsley.
8. Bring to the boil and turn off.
9. Heat another pan and brown your meatballs all over.
10. Add to the sauce and simmer gently the 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
11. Serve piled on top of Penne pasta, garlic bread and a fresh crispy green salad!

Mediterranean Crusted Baked Cod

My mother banished the fish salesman who dropped by our house regularly for overpriced fish! Since then we haven't been eating fish as often which is a shame because it's so good for you, extremely versatile and incredible tasty!

We got our hands on some lovely cod fillets today which didn't need much jazzing up, but since we had a freshly stocked fridge I decided to get creative:)
I decided to go with the Mediterranean ingredients-tomato, basil, onion, oregano and peppers.

This is an extremely easy recipe, the sauce and topping can be made in advance and it could easily be doubled or tripled for a larger crowed!

Mediterranean Crusted Baked Cod!
Serves 4 hungry people-as a main course/8 as nice starter!

Ingredients:
4x10oz Cod Fillets
Olive Oil
1 Large Spanish Onion, sliced
1 Red Pepper, stripped
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
10-12 Basil Leaves(fresh),chopped. Plus extra for garnish
2 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley(fresh),chopped
Topping:
1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan
8 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs
Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley(fresh)
Melted butter-just enough to combine

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 Degrees Celsius
2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, sweat the onion for 5 mins or until soft and translucent.
3. Add the peppers along with the garlic and cook for 1 minute-be careful NOT to burn the garlic.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and stir, seasoning with salt, pepper and add the oregano.
5. Add the chopped herbs and simmer on a low heat for 10-15mins and then allow to cool while you make the topping.
6. Mix together the breadcrumbs,seasoning,cheese and parsley.
7. Mix in the melted butter until it clumps together.
8. Spread the cooled sauce evenly in the base of a buttered dish.
9. Season the cod fillets and sprinkle with the topping before placing on top of the sauce.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins-depending on the thickness of your fish.
11. Remove the dish and scatter with some whole basil leaves.
12. Serve with green beans and baby potatoes!

Spicy Chorizo Pasta

This recipe is probably one of my FAVE dinners..not only is it super tasty but its super easy to make! Mid-week dinners need to be fast, tasty and something that can be rustled up quickly without to much thought....Spicy Chorizo Pasta is just the ticket:)







Ingredients:
-adapted from Rachel Allen

300g Spicy Chorizo Sausage
2 Tins of Tomatoes
4 Garlic Cloves
Knob of Butter
150ml Light Cream
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1/2 Teaspoon Dries Chili Flakes
500g Penne Pasta
Parmesan Cheese

Method:
1. Melt butter in a pan and crush garlic.
2. Add crushed garlic to pan and cook until edges begin to brown and then add the tinned tomatoes.
3. Add dried herbs, spices and season nicely with salt and pepper.
4. Slice sausage into 1/4 inch rounds and add to sauce.
5. Pour in the cream and simmer uncovered for 15-20mins until nicely reduced and saucy.
6. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it once boiled.
7. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
8. Drain pasta, pour over sauce and mix until all the pasta is coated in the spicy sauce.
9. Serve with grated Parmesan, garlic bread and a crisp crunchy caeser salad...Enjoy!