Penne & Fungi

Ok, this one is for all of my vego friends. Coz I really do love and admire your dietary convictions. As we all know, animals have feelings, but plants can't sence pain, right?

Soooo. Now we've cleared this one up for good lets move on to our featured meal. Mushroom and garlic penne. Fresh and simple tastes are a favorite theme of mine, but saying this dish rocks is no joke. Garlic, tomatoes, and mushrooms all get together and have a big party on my tonge when cooked like this.

Heres how I did it.

Ingredence:

440g tin of crushed tomatoes. (Organic are best).

450g of button mushrooms. Quartered.

10 cloves of finley choped garlic.

1 small brown onion, very finley choped.

Salt & pepper.

Olive oil.

Penne pasta.

Method:

Get the pasta on the boil with a bit of olive oil. (I'm assumeing dryed pasta here). Fry the onion in a heavy based pan untill translucent and soft. add garlic, give that about 30 seconds, then bung in the mushys. Toss through and slowly fry for a couple of minutes. Now tip in the tomatoes, simmer rapidly untill the pasta is al-dente. Drain the pasta and pour sauce over the top. Season to taste.

Remember. Be kind to your fungi. It's better to unter cook than over cook mushrooms.

I like a big chardy with this one.

Miso Soup.

Miso soup is an ultra classic Japanese dish. Made from the ever versitile soy bean it has a slightly nutty taste. My great friend Steff was looking for a healthy protine rich meal. Miso soup made in this way ticks just about all the healthy boxes. It should be noted that the pictured soup is vegan only if the dryed plankton, (very small prawns) are ommited.

The ingredents listed should feed 2 hungry buggers, 3 not verry hungry people, or 4 sparrows.

Ingredence:

Enough miso paste to make 4 cups of soup.

250g of set tofu.

2 sheets of nori.

6 small Shitakai mushrooms.

Small hand full of fresh bean shoots.

Small hand full of sliced spring onions.

100g of dry green tea noodles.

2 table spoons of dryed plankton.

Method:

Bring the meso paste to the boil and test fror flavor. Add more water or meso to get the level of flavor you are looking for. Don't forget, meso pastes can be quiet salty. Don't go over board. Tare the nori up into small peices and toss into the miso. Working quickly add the tofu cut into small cubes along with the sliced mushys and dryed plankton.

After about 2 & 1/2 minutes on the slow boil add pre cooked noddles and the bean shoots. As soon as the bean shoots are in remove from the heat. After a quick stir add the spring onions, serve straight away.

Drink golden coloured beer with this one.

If you eat like this often, expect to live to be 120...... No bull shit mate!

Veal Rib Eye.

Veal. (Baby cow). -Lighter in colour, more subtle in flavor, and a finer texture than beef. (Thats a grown up cow). Although a superb meat, it has been highly under rated and not often eaten by Aussies. It's high time Veal should feature on this blog!

Ingredents:

2x 350g veal rib eye fillets. Bone on.

Olive oil.

Salt & Peper.

Method:

Cook veal as you would cook beef. Crack salt and pepper over boath sides and drizzle with olive oil. Seal boath sides on a searing hot plate. Use the finger method to test for doneness. Don't forget to rest the meat before carving.

Archer cooks pizza!

My son Archer loves to cook. Although he is only three years old he really knows his way around a kitchen. The pic is of a pizza Archer made from scratch, (base and all). The only thing I did was stick it in the oven for him.

Archer cut us all a slice. It was bloody beautiful mate.....