Food Sunday

So a new friend of mine actually suggested that I'd make a topic days on Sundays, her suggestion was that since I'm studying to become a chef I'd give some cooking advice. Well since I'm not good at giving advice when it comes to cooking I thought that I'd share some of my easy to make favourite recipes. And today I decided to share a pasta sauce recipe that I invented myself. The recipe can also be eaten with rice thou.

Smoky bacon and bell pepper sauce(4 servings)


Ingredients:

240-250g (about 8.5-9 oz) smoky bacon strips
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, red or yellow
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 table spoons of paprika
1-2 table spoons of tomato purée
1-2 tables spoons of flour
1 litre (about 2 pints) of cold milk (you might more if you want a thinner sauce)
chilli flakes or powder to taste(optional)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley as garnish(optional)
Pasta or rice

Utensils:

1 frying pan
2 table spoons
1 chopping board
1 knife
1 pair of scissors
1 measuring jug
1 spatula
1 garlic mincer


How to cook it:

1. Put on the pasta water seasoned with salt or with chicken stock. When the water is boiling put in the pasta and cook it according to the package. If you're having rice with the sauce you should also start out with cooking the rice.

2. Put the frying pan on the stove and put the stove on to heat the pan. While it's heating you take the scissors and cut the bacon strips in to small pieces into the frying pan. Now fry the bacon as crispy as you like it.

3. While the bacon is frying chop the onion and bell pepper and mince the garlic(you can do this step before frying the bacon if you want to). When the bacon is nearly done you put in the vegetables(and garlic), you wont need any more fat cause the bacon grease is used as the fat here, and fry them till they starts to soften. At this point the bacon should be cooked too.

4. Add the paprika, tomato purée and, is you want an extra kick to it, the chilli flakes(or powder) and fry a bit longer, now it's time to add the flour. This step will make everything become a big lump of reddish orange but no worries, it should be like that.

5. It's now it's time to add the milk a little at the time. This step might be a bit tricky but as long as you just put the milk in a little at the time, it's important that the milk is cold cause it's easier to get a lump free sauce then. Also let the sauce boil a bit before you add more milk since boiling the sauce will make it thicker.

6. Season the sauce to your taste with salt and pepper, you might want to add more paprika or chilli at this point. When the pasta is done drain the water and mix the pasta in to the sauce(or serve it separate it's up to you). Before serving sprinkle with some parsley.

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe, also you can add things to the recipe and also if there's something you don't like take that away. I might have missed some utensils but you have the basics up htere. Now I just want to wish you a Bon appetit!