Familly's Recipes Fresh spaghetti and mediterranean spinach

Today I decided to start this blog as I am working from home due to my daughter not being well enough to go to School... quite relaxing at a busy time of year...
Lunch time arrived and she came to me saying ‘what’s for Lunch!!’ One of her favorite sentences after ‘What's for dinner!’
Being a chef and a catering manager does not always give me time to cook at home and my daughter is not the easiest one to feed which feels like a rebellion from my culture and my work...
As a French mum it is hard to satisfy her as she called herself a vegetarian who eats only the meat she wants and no fish at all!!
She does not enjoy French food or going to French restaurants at all... So lately we have been cooking together and creating recipes...
She is really keen for me to start a cooking club with her friends so that she can try new flavours and we beginning the long journey to developing her pallet...
Easy Gourmet is already starting to give some cookery classes to young children at The Tab Centre. We will be opening different evening and afternoon workshops in the Shoreditch area including Mums, Dads and Kid’s cooking for fun and healthy eating which will start in January.

So here we are... Today's lunch and first recipe of our book, a quick and healthy menu

Fresh spaghetti and mediterranean spinach

Serves 4-6
Cooking time 15MN

Ingredients

500g of fresh spaghetti
3 crushed garlic cloves
1.5 tea spoons of cumin seeds
175 g of Silken Tofu chopped into pieces
Fresh Nutmeg (to be grated on top)
1 ½ teaspoons of ground almond
3 ripe tomatoes chopped into wedges
250g of spinach –
3 tablespoons of Pesto (make your own or buy readymade)
a handful of fresh basil (reserved leaves to decorate your plate)
1 tea spoon grated lemon zest
Olive oil

Method

Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling, salted water and a few drops of olive oil and simmer for about 2 minutes for aldente pasta, drain thoroughly and reserve for the end of the cooking.

In a large frying pan or wok heat up the olive oil, add the garlic and cumin seeds and fry them gently. Add the spinach but be careful not to overcook it. Add the tofu and stir well. Incorporate the tomato, grind the nutmeg (grind the nuts on top of the dish but not too much). Stir in the spaghetti; add the pesto, chopped fresh basil and the ground almonds. Gently mix all the ingredients and your meal is ready to eat...

Present your spaghetti nicely with some tomato wedges and basil leaves on the top. Drizzle a touch of pesto and serve.
Bon appétit!
Try it at home and your comments will be very welcome... We love it!!

Weddings At the "Wilton's Music Hall" July 2010

This weekend saw another beautiful Wedding which was a real pleasure to caterer for at my favourite location “The amazing "Wilton’s Music Hall.”The venue was beautifully lit and simply but brilliantly decorated by the florist from “Sweet Peas Flower”. Wilton’s is the world’s oldest and last surviving grand Music Hall. For anyone who loves theatre and vintage glamour, this place is an enchantment. Shabby chic at its absolute best! Wilton's has had a long and colourful history. It has been the haunt of Victorian sailors (and their ladies), become a Mission, survived two world wars, been a rag warehouse, been long forgotten and has ended up as a theatre once more. Through the decadent barley twist columns one can still hear echoes of Champagne Charlie and Can-Can girls. Nowhere else will you find the same atmosphere and charm of this hauntingly beautiful, dilapidated building.The Bride and Groom where so lovely it all made it the perfect party in a amazing venue...

It was a really hot summery day and at 3pm the reception drinks started and guests arrived from all over the word. They entered the venue to discover the beauty of Wilton’s Music Hall with a glass of Procesco and succulent canapés for our new menu

Rare seared beef on wild mushrooms truffle with croustini

Smoked salmon with crème cheese croustini with black fish eggs

Cherry tomato baby mozzarella fresh pesto red pepper mousse pastry

Then followed the speeches and the buffet dinner was served

Selection of cold salad

Greek salad (lettuce, olive, tomatoes, onion, feta cheese).

Moroccan style Couscous with roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and fresh mint

New potatoes and spring onion salad

*****

Rare Roast beef in red onions and burgundy sauce

Slow roasted Salmon filet in white wine and dill sauce

Stuffed aubergine with mushrooms risotto topped with parmesan with chives sauce

Main course was accompanied with Roasted baby potatoes and seasonal vegetables

For the dessert it was one of the favourites. A display of mini desserts which provides guests with a fantastic choice and satisfies any sweet tooth

Summer fruit trifle

Raspberry pavlova

Mini choc pot

Crème brullee

Chocolate brownies

Strawberries and cream

Dessert was served with crème Anglaise and fruit coulis

The entire party had a great evening and enjoyed the hot weather mingling and drinking on the cute alleyway in the front of the theatre... They also enjoyed the opening of the evening bar and the dancing.

As a wedding cake the bride and groom had chosen their favourite cheeses to have a cheese cake tower. This is a really good alternative to a Wedding cake as we serve the cheese for the evening buffet. At this Wedding the evening buffet was also accompanied by delicious fairy cakes.

The happy bride, groom and guests departed at midnight to enjoy the rest of their night in another venue.... A beautiful wedding reception with happily married Bride and Groom and another successful Event for Easy Gourmet....

World Cup 2010

Hire a Fantastic Private Venue to watch the 2010 World Cup
with the most amazing London View
in the heart of the Olympic site Stratford E15Easy Gourmet is proud to be the caterer of Stratford Eyes
and welcome you with our world cup packages

info@easygourmetcatering.co.uk
We love to hear from you.... 02077090888
www.easygourmetcatering.co.uk

2010 Photo Shoot

We are very excited with the new web site on the way and the beautiful picture of our new menu

Watch out for more news to come out soon

Picture by Alex Harvet

www.crunchygecko.com

Easy Gourmet team

The new Menu picture

Tonight Exclusive Dinner at the Hms President suite

Tonight we are preparing for an exclusive dinner, we are exited to see our new menu on the plate, the chefs will be serving:

Starter

Pyramid of mozzarella, marinated aubergine and grilled courgette roasted peppers with tomatillo relish and basil oil (v)

Smoked salmon roulade stuffed with salmon mousse with smoked paprika flavor with mango salsa and fresh pesto drizzle

******

Main Course

Balloting of chicken breast stuffed with tapenade and sun dried tomato served with champagne sauce

Wild mushrooms and Portobello mushrooms, goat cheese, asparagus red onions fine tart topped with rocket served with red pepper coulis

******

Lemon tart with comfit lemon zest served with chocolate coulis

Cream brullee with raspberry coulis and spider web

Easy Gourmet New Venue at the Amazing Stratford Eyes Penthouse

Easy Gourmet is really excited to be the caterer of this new and exclusive venue in Stratford facing the new 2012 Olympic development on the 19^th Floor of the Stratford Eyes building.

Brochure and web site will come really soon. Keep posted on hiring this exclusive venue