Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Veal escalope with aromatic vegetables
I hadn't had veal in forever, but on our honeymoon in Italy, hubby and I had it a few times, and I promised him I'd source some for dinner at home. Regarding the ethics of veal, we bought ours from Waitrose whose meat-raising practices are excellent Waitrose veal
Ingredients
Veal escalope
Flour
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 courgette
1 red pepper
1 aubergine
fresh thyme and rosemary (2-3 sprigs of each)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chop all the veg and garlic finely (I whizzed mine in the food processor bit of my kMix). Heat some olive oil in a heavy based pan (I use a shallow casserole dish on the hob) and chuck it all in with the thyme and rosemary. Stir well, season and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the hob off (if gas) or take off the hob (if electric), cover and leave to keep warm.
In a frying pan, coat the veal escalopes in flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Cook the escalopes for about 1 1/2 minutes each side. Serve on top of the vegetables. If you need some carbs, some crusty Italian bread is yummy.
This has to be cooked when you want to eat it. However, the prep is so simple, it makes a quick entertaining option if you have guests in the week.
Ingredients
Veal escalope
Flour
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 courgette
1 red pepper
1 aubergine
fresh thyme and rosemary (2-3 sprigs of each)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chop all the veg and garlic finely (I whizzed mine in the food processor bit of my kMix). Heat some olive oil in a heavy based pan (I use a shallow casserole dish on the hob) and chuck it all in with the thyme and rosemary. Stir well, season and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the hob off (if gas) or take off the hob (if electric), cover and leave to keep warm.
In a frying pan, coat the veal escalopes in flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Cook the escalopes for about 1 1/2 minutes each side. Serve on top of the vegetables. If you need some carbs, some crusty Italian bread is yummy.
This has to be cooked when you want to eat it. However, the prep is so simple, it makes a quick entertaining option if you have guests in the week.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Salma Hayek fajitas with guacamole
What is Salma Hayek? A slimline Mexican. Introducing healthy fajitas that take 15 minutes from start to finish! The avocados need to be ripe - to tell if they are ripe, press the top with your thumb. The easier it depresses, the riper they are.
Ingredients
Fajitas
4 wholewheat tortillas
300g beef cut into strips
1 red onion sliced
2 peppers sliced
Chopped chili to taste (1 teaspoon mild - 3 teaspoons medium, more teaspoons if you fancy it hot)
Guacamole
2 avocados
200g zero fat greek yoghurt
3 fresh tomatoes
handful fresh coriander
juice of 1 lime
seasoning to taste
Instructions
Brown the beef in a tablespoon of sunflower oil
Add the chilli and vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the veg is to your liking
Peel the avocados and whizz in a food processor/blender with the yoghurt, coriander and lime juice
If you don't have a food processor etc, use a potato masher.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and do a little more whizzing/mashing
When the beef and veg mixture is ready, assemble by putting a ladleful of the mixture on a tortilla and top with the guacamole. Using greek yoghurt makes it taste quite rich, considering the low fat content. The guacamole will last 2 days covered in the fridge - the lime juice stops it going brown.
Other versions
Chicken can be substituted for the beef - it will need the full 10 minutes of cooking to be ready
For meat free, skip the meat and put carrots, peas and sweetcorn
Ingredients
Fajitas
4 wholewheat tortillas
300g beef cut into strips
1 red onion sliced
2 peppers sliced
Chopped chili to taste (1 teaspoon mild - 3 teaspoons medium, more teaspoons if you fancy it hot)
Guacamole
2 avocados
200g zero fat greek yoghurt
3 fresh tomatoes
handful fresh coriander
juice of 1 lime
seasoning to taste
Instructions
Brown the beef in a tablespoon of sunflower oil
Add the chilli and vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the veg is to your liking
Peel the avocados and whizz in a food processor/blender with the yoghurt, coriander and lime juice
If you don't have a food processor etc, use a potato masher.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and do a little more whizzing/mashing
When the beef and veg mixture is ready, assemble by putting a ladleful of the mixture on a tortilla and top with the guacamole. Using greek yoghurt makes it taste quite rich, considering the low fat content. The guacamole will last 2 days covered in the fridge - the lime juice stops it going brown.
Other versions
Chicken can be substituted for the beef - it will need the full 10 minutes of cooking to be ready
For meat free, skip the meat and put carrots, peas and sweetcorn
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Sandwiches for the freezer
So the PA team at work think I am hysterically funny because I make loaves of sandwiches at a time, freeze them in rounds and hey presto, packed lunches a go-go. The advantages are manifold:
- Once you've got all the stuff out to make one sandwich, doing a few more doesn't take much more time.
- They defrost quickly, so you only need to take them out in the morning of the day you want them and they are chilled yummy sandwiches at lunchtime.
- They don't defrost THAT quickly, so if you suffer from my hubby's issue of eating his packed lunch at 10:30, you won't be able to
- You'll save POTS of money
- Ham and mustard
- Cream cheese and smoked salmon, with lemon juice and black pepper
- Grated cheddar cheese and ham
- Peanut butter and jam
- Beef and horseradish
- Boursin and salami (I know but it's really nice, take chewing gum to work)
Friday, 21 October 2011
Making stock and its uses
I used to think this is what housewives with too much time on their hands did. I also thought it was something mysterious that involved all sorts of things I wouldn't have. Most recipe books did little to quell me of this notion.
As it turns out my preconceptions were wrong and it is rather straightforward. It is also very useful for a whole host of things and can make stuff a lot more tasty. It also makes the house smell like you've been slaving over a hot stove for ages and your other half/guests/you/the cat will be overtaken by domestic bliss. Finally, there is SO much salt in bought stock my blood pressure goes up at the taste of it. However, I have learned a few things along the way playing with making stock, so my guide is as follows:
Chicken stock
Most people will have a roast chicken at some point, so let's start with that. Once you've eaten the chicken, put its remains in a big saucepan.
Add any or all of the following vegetables
Pour cold water on it until everything is just covered.
Heat on the hob over a low heat, let it simmer, DO NOT BOIL (it will go cloudy if you do)
If any scum rises to the top, ignore - some recipes say to skim but we are dealing with very hot liquid and any bits get strained off afterwards anyway
Let it to simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours (but >2 is better) - it doesn't need stirring, so leave it to its own devices
Strain the liquid and discard all the bits
What, pray tell, do I do with it now?
It will keep in the fridge for 3 days
It freezes very well - freeze it in ice cubes and then you have it in easily accessible small amounts. Each ice cube will be ~25g or 1oz.
As well as the various recipes on this site that use it, stock can be used to perk up all sorts of things...
As it turns out my preconceptions were wrong and it is rather straightforward. It is also very useful for a whole host of things and can make stuff a lot more tasty. It also makes the house smell like you've been slaving over a hot stove for ages and your other half/guests/you/the cat will be overtaken by domestic bliss. Finally, there is SO much salt in bought stock my blood pressure goes up at the taste of it. However, I have learned a few things along the way playing with making stock, so my guide is as follows:
Chicken stock
Most people will have a roast chicken at some point, so let's start with that. Once you've eaten the chicken, put its remains in a big saucepan.
Add any or all of the following vegetables
- Leeks, onions, potato, celery, carrots, swede, turnip, parsnips, courgette, spinach... basically if it's looking sorry for itself in the fridge, in it goes
- You do not need to peel, or top and tail them, you do not need to chop them up, except to get them in your pan
- Rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns
Pour cold water on it until everything is just covered.
Heat on the hob over a low heat, let it simmer, DO NOT BOIL (it will go cloudy if you do)
If any scum rises to the top, ignore - some recipes say to skim but we are dealing with very hot liquid and any bits get strained off afterwards anyway
Let it to simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours (but >2 is better) - it doesn't need stirring, so leave it to its own devices
Strain the liquid and discard all the bits
What, pray tell, do I do with it now?
It will keep in the fridge for 3 days
It freezes very well - freeze it in ice cubes and then you have it in easily accessible small amounts. Each ice cube will be ~25g or 1oz.
As well as the various recipes on this site that use it, stock can be used to perk up all sorts of things...
- Add an ice cube of stock into some mashed potato
- Use some it to boil pasta or steam veg in gives a bit of flavour
- A few ice cubes worth put into a stirfry
- Making risotto
- If you are doing any home cooking, chances are a bit of homemade stock will give it a bit of oomph.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Beef and horseradish stew - with meat free and budget alternatives
Ingredients
500g braising beef
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
Horseradish sauce (1 - 3 tablespoons, depending on taste)
Flour
Vegetables, sliced and chopped into wedges
Crusty bread to serve
Instructions
Dust the beef with flour until it is all coated
Heat the oil an ovenproof casserole dish over a medium heat
Brown the beef in the dish
Add the vegetables
Give it all a good stir
Stir in the amount of horseradish you choose into the beef stock and pour over meat and veg
Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about ten minutes
Put into the oven for 45 minutes, still covered
Meat-free alternative
Horseradish goes very well with lentils as well - replace the beef with puy lentils (or other type, I'm not that fussy) and the use vegetable stock
Budget alternative
Substitute half the beef with lentils
500g braising beef
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
Horseradish sauce (1 - 3 tablespoons, depending on taste)
Flour
Vegetables, sliced and chopped into wedges - 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into big chunks
Crusty bread to serve
Instructions
Dust the beef with flour until it is all coated
Heat the oil an ovenproof casserole dish over a medium heat
Brown the beef in the dish
Add the vegetables
Give it all a good stir
Stir in the amount of horseradish you choose into the beef stock and pour over meat and veg
Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about ten minutes
Put into the oven for 45 minutes, still covered
Meat-free alternative
Horseradish goes very well with lentils as well - replace the beef with puy lentils (or other type, I'm not that fussy) and the use vegetable stock
Budget alternative
Substitute half the beef with lentils
Monday, 17 October 2011
Roast lamb and potatoes boulangere with soup for the following day
Roast lamb and Potatoes Boulangere - the "healthy version" - and some soup
As Sunday Roasts go, this is a really good one for entertaining because all the preparation is up front and everything cooks at the same time for the same amount of time. It also is full on in flavour.
Ingredients
Leg of lamb (allow 300g per person, although typically you are restricted by the size of whatever the shop has)
6 peeled cloves of garlic
10-12 sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme
Potatoes (we used Maris Piper) allow 2 per person
Onions allow 1 per person (red or white onions, depending on what is in your fridge)
100g of butter, chopped
400ml stock (vegetable, chicken, lamb or beef)
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Prepare the lamb
Rub some olive oil and chopped garlic over the lamb. With a small knife, make 6 incisions across the top of the lamb. Put a rosemary/thyme sprig in each of the others.
Prepare the potatoes
Slice the potatoes and onions as thinly as you can without involving your thumb. I use the slicing disc of my Kenwood kMix 894HB, a mandolin works. Layer it in a big, shallow ovenproof dish and put whatever rosemary/thyme sprigs in you have left (I used thyme in this one). Slosh over the stock, dot around the chopped butter and season with the black pepper and sea salt.
Put a wire rack on top of the dish with the potatoes on and put the lamb on the wire rack.
The idea is that rather than put butter/milk/fat into the potatoes, whatever drips down from the lamb adds flavour. Wrap the whole thing in foil, so that there are no gaps.
Put the whole thing in the oven for the following amount of time:
Pinkish - 20 minutes per lb of lamb (if you work in kg, 1 kg = 2.2lb)
Less pink - 30 minutes per lb lamb
Soup from the leftover potatoes
Additional ingredients
Lamb stock (simmered the bone with onions, carrots and stacks of rosemary)
500ml milk
150g dolcelatte (it was leftover from something else, any cheese with a bit of oomph would do, parmesan and/or gruyere for a bit of nuttiness would be nice)
Instructions
The leftover boulangere then became potato and cheese soup (using my kMix soap blender attachment naturally) - I poached the leftovers in milk to soften, added dolcelatte that was leftover from something else and then simmered with the lamb stock. (Note on that - lamb stock can be fatty, so chill after making and then the fat solidifies and you can get rid of it). No seasoning was required because the boulangere had been well-seasoned in the first place.
As Sunday Roasts go, this is a really good one for entertaining because all the preparation is up front and everything cooks at the same time for the same amount of time. It also is full on in flavour.
Ingredients
Leg of lamb (allow 300g per person, although typically you are restricted by the size of whatever the shop has)
6 peeled cloves of garlic
10-12 sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme
Potatoes (we used Maris Piper) allow 2 per person
Onions allow 1 per person (red or white onions, depending on what is in your fridge)
100g of butter, chopped
400ml stock (vegetable, chicken, lamb or beef)
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Prepare the lamb
Rub some olive oil and chopped garlic over the lamb. With a small knife, make 6 incisions across the top of the lamb. Put a rosemary/thyme sprig in each of the others.
Prepare the potatoes
Slice the potatoes and onions as thinly as you can without involving your thumb. I use the slicing disc of my Kenwood kMix 894HB, a mandolin works. Layer it in a big, shallow ovenproof dish and put whatever rosemary/thyme sprigs in you have left (I used thyme in this one). Slosh over the stock, dot around the chopped butter and season with the black pepper and sea salt.
Put a wire rack on top of the dish with the potatoes on and put the lamb on the wire rack.
The idea is that rather than put butter/milk/fat into the potatoes, whatever drips down from the lamb adds flavour. Wrap the whole thing in foil, so that there are no gaps.
Put the whole thing in the oven for the following amount of time:
Pinkish - 20 minutes per lb of lamb (if you work in kg, 1 kg = 2.2lb)
Less pink - 30 minutes per lb lamb
Soup from the leftover potatoes
Additional ingredients
Lamb stock (simmered the bone with onions, carrots and stacks of rosemary)
500ml milk
150g dolcelatte (it was leftover from something else, any cheese with a bit of oomph would do, parmesan and/or gruyere for a bit of nuttiness would be nice)
Instructions
The leftover boulangere then became potato and cheese soup (using my kMix soap blender attachment naturally) - I poached the leftovers in milk to soften, added dolcelatte that was leftover from something else and then simmered with the lamb stock. (Note on that - lamb stock can be fatty, so chill after making and then the fat solidifies and you can get rid of it). No seasoning was required because the boulangere had been well-seasoned in the first place.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Speedy tomato pasta sauce for a weeknight
Until I was 4, we lived in Europe and I lived on spaghetti bolognese. Since then, tomato-based pasta sauce is something that I take great time over, simmering slowly for a long time on the hob etc etc. However, what happens when (like me) you get a great craving for tomato sauce on a Monday night? Try this:
In a food processor or blender, whizz until smooth a can of tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 shallots or 1 onion, some lemon juice and ~200ml of olive oil (don't skimp or it won't work). A bit of fresh chilli is nice if you fancy it too. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Put the pasta onto boil and heat the sauce over a medium heat, but don't overboil.
For something a bit different, flake some smoked fish through the pasta, then add the tomato sauce - smoked mackerel is particularly nice.
In a food processor or blender, whizz until smooth a can of tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 shallots or 1 onion, some lemon juice and ~200ml of olive oil (don't skimp or it won't work). A bit of fresh chilli is nice if you fancy it too. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Put the pasta onto boil and heat the sauce over a medium heat, but don't overboil.
For something a bit different, flake some smoked fish through the pasta, then add the tomato sauce - smoked mackerel is particularly nice.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Kitchen heroes - Kenwood kMix HB894
Why I love it
It's made from cast aluminium, so feels robust to use
Is miles cheaper than the full on machinery luvvies like Gwyneth Paltrow's blog talks about - I bought mine for £110
Everything on it is dishwasher safe
It is small and packs compactly, so doesn't take up lots of room
How often do I use it
4-5 times per week
What do I use it for
The slicing disc
- Vegetables for stir frying (gets everything the same size in no time)
- Anything where a recipe suggests a mandolin
- Potatoes for potatoes boulangere or dauphinoise
- Herbs with olive oil to make marinades, especially pesto
- Pastry and pasta dough
- Grating cheese
- Cabbage for coleslaw and/or salad
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Posh pasties
I was flogging some Cornish pasties at my parents' village regatta in Cornwall and a posh city boy asked me if I had any lamb and mint. Now for the uninitiated, a Cornish pasty is a savoury pastry pocket containing beef and vegetables. However, daft posh places up in London like to try to gentrify these things and a chain of fast food places has launched all sorts of different flavours of them. However, in Cornwall, they broadly remain beef and/or beef.
However, my snobbery has been overtaken by my curiosity, so I am proud to present the lamb, mint and feta pasty. They freeze very well, so make in large batches because they are a bit time-consuming but easy.
Ingredients
Puff pastry
250g lamb mince
Dried mint
100g feta cheese
1 carrot
1 leek
2 potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (beaten for glazing)
Instructions
Chop the leek, carrot and potato into small pieces - no more than 1 cm cube ideally.
Brown the lamb mince in a pan. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Put the veg in the pan, fry gently for a few minutes, then put the lamb in, slosh over a couple of wineglasses of water, season and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes (until the potatoes are just tender)
Leave the mixture to cool completely
To assemble the pasties, roll out the pastry and cut into squares. Put some lamb mixture on each square, then crumble the feta over.
Brush the pastry edges with the egg, then crimp the pastry into a pocket, making sure the mixture is completely enclosed
Glaze the outside of all the pasties with beaten egg
Cook for about 30 mins
However, my snobbery has been overtaken by my curiosity, so I am proud to present the lamb, mint and feta pasty. They freeze very well, so make in large batches because they are a bit time-consuming but easy.
Ingredients
Puff pastry
250g lamb mince
Dried mint
100g feta cheese
1 carrot
1 leek
2 potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg (beaten for glazing)
Instructions
Chop the leek, carrot and potato into small pieces - no more than 1 cm cube ideally.
Brown the lamb mince in a pan. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Put the veg in the pan, fry gently for a few minutes, then put the lamb in, slosh over a couple of wineglasses of water, season and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes (until the potatoes are just tender)
Leave the mixture to cool completely
To assemble the pasties, roll out the pastry and cut into squares. Put some lamb mixture on each square, then crumble the feta over.
Brush the pastry edges with the egg, then crimp the pastry into a pocket, making sure the mixture is completely enclosed
Glaze the outside of all the pasties with beaten egg
Cook for about 30 mins
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Salads made interesting
Hubby's main issue with salad is that while he appreciates the health benefits, he finds it a little dull and drowns it in salad dressing to perk it up. The other thing with salad is that lettuce etc doesn't last very long and is not much use for anything aside from salad. So salad experiments at home recently have involved stock cupboard staples and vegetables that have a long shelf life.
The other thing worth doing is doing a big bowl for Friday evening, don't put any dressing on it,and leave in the fridge for lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Or do the same at the beginning of the week, then put in boxes for lunch and have some salad dressing on hand at work. Make sure all the ingredients in the salad are superdry though.
Brightly coloured salads like this do perk us up during the dark nights of the winter months - you may crave hot warming things, but give it a go.
Ingredients
Courgettes - use a peeler to slice into ribbons. And watch your thumb
Red cabbage - I used to only have it at Christmas but it's very versatile and a bit chopped into a salad gives colour and crunch. Also lasts a long time.
Canned sweetcorn - so all you can eat Harvester salad bar may do this but it is actually quite nice
Carrots - these seem to last for ages in the fridge, so we also have some, and grate them in
Beetroot - cooked not pickled. Comes vacuum packed with a long shelf life so worth buying when you're having a stock up
Peppers - use red, orange or yellow, green can be a bit bitter
Tomatoes - unless homegrown, tomatoes in this country are generally a bit rubbish. Cherry tomatoes are pretty reliable for flavour
Broccoli - cut into very small florets, it's actually quite nice raw
And now for the protein bit...
Smoked fish and fresh orange segments with some 0% greek yoghurt
Strong blue cheese, walnuts and tinned pear
Tuna and hard boiled egg mashed with a bit of creme fraiche, lemon juice and black pepper
The other thing worth doing is doing a big bowl for Friday evening, don't put any dressing on it,and leave in the fridge for lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Or do the same at the beginning of the week, then put in boxes for lunch and have some salad dressing on hand at work. Make sure all the ingredients in the salad are superdry though.
Brightly coloured salads like this do perk us up during the dark nights of the winter months - you may crave hot warming things, but give it a go.
Ingredients
Courgettes - use a peeler to slice into ribbons. And watch your thumb
Red cabbage - I used to only have it at Christmas but it's very versatile and a bit chopped into a salad gives colour and crunch. Also lasts a long time.
Canned sweetcorn - so all you can eat Harvester salad bar may do this but it is actually quite nice
Carrots - these seem to last for ages in the fridge, so we also have some, and grate them in
Beetroot - cooked not pickled. Comes vacuum packed with a long shelf life so worth buying when you're having a stock up
Peppers - use red, orange or yellow, green can be a bit bitter
Tomatoes - unless homegrown, tomatoes in this country are generally a bit rubbish. Cherry tomatoes are pretty reliable for flavour
Broccoli - cut into very small florets, it's actually quite nice raw
And now for the protein bit...
Smoked fish and fresh orange segments with some 0% greek yoghurt
Strong blue cheese, walnuts and tinned pear
Tuna and hard boiled egg mashed with a bit of creme fraiche, lemon juice and black pepper
Friday, 7 October 2011
Filo pastry millefeuille
Filo pastry dries out very quickly, so if you are using it for anything, you need to use it all. Having made a rather yummy quiche, I needed to make something else tout de suite.
I layered it 3 sheets at a time and cut into rectangles, then put in the oven for 2 mins (first lot I put in for 5 minutes and the result was somewhat carcinogenic).
I chopped some apple and oranges, caramelised them with golden caster sugar and brandy, then layered with the baked sheets of filo with yoghurt in a millefeuille kind of way. Was yummy, refreshing rather than overpoweringly unhealthy-feeling like traditional millefeuille. Best bit is that I did it on Saturday, plated it up into the fridge and we had on Sunday evening and it was yummy.
It looks posh and the filling could be any fruit really, whatever you have in your fruit bowl that needs using up. It would be particularly good with bananas and rum.
I layered it 3 sheets at a time and cut into rectangles, then put in the oven for 2 mins (first lot I put in for 5 minutes and the result was somewhat carcinogenic).
I chopped some apple and oranges, caramelised them with golden caster sugar and brandy, then layered with the baked sheets of filo with yoghurt in a millefeuille kind of way. Was yummy, refreshing rather than overpoweringly unhealthy-feeling like traditional millefeuille. Best bit is that I did it on Saturday, plated it up into the fridge and we had on Sunday evening and it was yummy.
It looks posh and the filling could be any fruit really, whatever you have in your fruit bowl that needs using up. It would be particularly good with bananas and rum.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Creme Fraiche pasta sauces
I am a great fan of creme fraiche as a healthier base for creamy sauces and these ones are both a) favourite and b) VERY quick to cook.
Steak and blue cheese
Ingredients
Steak (one 8oz steak per two people)
Creme fraiche (allow about 100g per person)
Dolcelatte or gorgonzola
Baby spinach (2 handfuls per person)
Instructions
Melt the creme fraiche and chopped dolcelatte while the pasta is on the boil. Cook a steak separately (I griddled it to rare), slice it up, then mix that and the pasta with the creme fraiche and dolcelatte mixture with some handfuls of baby spinach. Slacken off the sauce by adding a bit of the cooking water from the pasta.
Meat-free alternative
Don't cook a steak (duh)
Before melting the creme fraiche and gorgonzola, toast some chopped walnuts in the pan, then add the creme fraiche etc and continue
Chorizonara
Ingredients
Creme fraiche (allow about 100g per person)
Shallot (1 per two people)
Garlic (1 clove per person)
Chorizo chopped up small
Eggs (1 per person)
Parmesan or any other strong hard cheese, grated
Instructions
While the pasta is on the boil, fry the chorizo, shallot and garlic in some sunflower oil over a low heat until the garlic and shallot are soft and translucent.
Beat the eggs, creme fraiche and parmesan with lots of ground black pepper
Take the pasta off the heat and drain
Stir all of the above into the pasta
The fishy one
Ingredients
Creme fraiche (allow about 50g per person)
Cream cheese (allow about 50g per person)
Smoked salmon
Cooked prawns
Lemon juice
Instructions
Put pasta onto cook. Melt the cream cheese and creme fraiche together in a shallow pan, add the fishy stuff, stir, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Slacken off with one tablespoon of the pasta cooking water and serve on top of the pasta.
Steak and blue cheese
Ingredients
Steak (one 8oz steak per two people)
Creme fraiche (allow about 100g per person)
Dolcelatte or gorgonzola
Baby spinach (2 handfuls per person)
Instructions
Melt the creme fraiche and chopped dolcelatte while the pasta is on the boil. Cook a steak separately (I griddled it to rare), slice it up, then mix that and the pasta with the creme fraiche and dolcelatte mixture with some handfuls of baby spinach. Slacken off the sauce by adding a bit of the cooking water from the pasta.
Meat-free alternative
Don't cook a steak (duh)
Before melting the creme fraiche and gorgonzola, toast some chopped walnuts in the pan, then add the creme fraiche etc and continue
Chorizonara
Ingredients
Creme fraiche (allow about 100g per person)
Shallot (1 per two people)
Garlic (1 clove per person)
Chorizo chopped up small
Eggs (1 per person)
Parmesan or any other strong hard cheese, grated
Instructions
While the pasta is on the boil, fry the chorizo, shallot and garlic in some sunflower oil over a low heat until the garlic and shallot are soft and translucent.
Beat the eggs, creme fraiche and parmesan with lots of ground black pepper
Take the pasta off the heat and drain
Stir all of the above into the pasta
The fishy one
Ingredients
Creme fraiche (allow about 50g per person)
Cream cheese (allow about 50g per person)
Smoked salmon
Cooked prawns
Lemon juice
Instructions
Put pasta onto cook. Melt the cream cheese and creme fraiche together in a shallow pan, add the fishy stuff, stir, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Slacken off with one tablespoon of the pasta cooking water and serve on top of the pasta.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Good Housekeeping inspiration - Roast Chicken with a twist
Not one to follow recipes precisely, I thought that I would put the foolproofness alleged by Good Housekeeping to the test and follow accordingly. Only 3 providers of recipes triple-test - GH is one, the others are Delia and BBC Good Food.
Curried roast chicken with potatoes
Ingredients
Whole chicken
Butter
150g of curry paste
Can of coconut milk (400ml is standard)
3 tablespoons grated root ginger
1 lime cut in half
500g new potatoes
Vegetables to serve
How to assemble
Smear a whole chicken with the curry paste and butter, put ginger and lime into the cavity. Put into oven. When there are 40 mins to go (according to the cooking instructions on the chicken you've got), put cut up new potatoes into the dish with it. Take out of oven, remove chicken and potatoes from dish then add coconut milk and water to the dish, stir up into sauce. Served once, hot, with red cabbage (I think that goes v well with curried stuff) and cold leftovers with courgette and leek tagine.
Comments
It was effectively a chicken curry that takes a long time to cook. Also, the potatoes weren't quite cooked so had to be nuked. It isn't as "saucy" as a normal chicken curry, so is healthier.
The flavour wasn't that exciting - next time rather than putting the lime and ginger in the cavity, I might use it to stuff the neck end because we lost that flavour largely. I would also put the potatoes in when there is an hour to go - all the sauce means they are not going to dry out and new potatoes hold their texture pretty effectively.
Will make own curry paste as well next time, rather than using a jar of ready-made, and serve this as a Sunday Roast treat if having friends round.
It was absolutely excellent cold, though, especially with a dollop of yoghurt on the top. Made very nice salad lunch.
Curried roast chicken with potatoes
Ingredients
Whole chicken
Butter
150g of curry paste
Can of coconut milk (400ml is standard)
3 tablespoons grated root ginger
1 lime cut in half
500g new potatoes
Vegetables to serve
How to assemble
Smear a whole chicken with the curry paste and butter, put ginger and lime into the cavity. Put into oven. When there are 40 mins to go (according to the cooking instructions on the chicken you've got), put cut up new potatoes into the dish with it. Take out of oven, remove chicken and potatoes from dish then add coconut milk and water to the dish, stir up into sauce. Served once, hot, with red cabbage (I think that goes v well with curried stuff) and cold leftovers with courgette and leek tagine.
Comments
It was effectively a chicken curry that takes a long time to cook. Also, the potatoes weren't quite cooked so had to be nuked. It isn't as "saucy" as a normal chicken curry, so is healthier.
The flavour wasn't that exciting - next time rather than putting the lime and ginger in the cavity, I might use it to stuff the neck end because we lost that flavour largely. I would also put the potatoes in when there is an hour to go - all the sauce means they are not going to dry out and new potatoes hold their texture pretty effectively.
Will make own curry paste as well next time, rather than using a jar of ready-made, and serve this as a Sunday Roast treat if having friends round.
It was absolutely excellent cold, though, especially with a dollop of yoghurt on the top. Made very nice salad lunch.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Crispy coated pork (or fish or chicken) and apple slaw
An all new crispy coating for whatever you fancy (in this case it was pork)
Ingredients
The meat bit
200g Rice Krispies
2 x beaten eggs
Flour
4 x pork escalopes (for chicken use goujons or fillets sliced into 3 pieces each so that they cook quickly)
The salad bit
1/2 a red cabbage
3 apples (really doesn't matter if they are eating or cooking apples)
300g 0% greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Rice krispies whizzed in the food processor. That's it. Coat whatever you are cooking in flour, then dip in egg, krispies powder, egg, krispies powder and fry in a pan. Only inconvenience is needing 3 plates for each coating ingredient.
I coated them and covered with clingfilm a day before we wanted them and they were fine.
When ready to eat, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When it's hot, fry the escalopes for about 5 minutes each side - best way is to do 2.5 minutes each side twice so that you can keep an eye on the coating getting crisp but not, ahem, carcinogenic.
Salad for serving
We served it with apple slaw, from the same page of the magazine - red cabbage (grated in the kMix) and apples from our garden cut into matchsticks, mixed with yoghurt, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard.
Comments
All very nice and straightforward, and I expect the slaw would keep well in the fridge. Except we'd eaten it all by the following day. Great for entertaining because they are foods that everyone likes but the combination is unusual enough for people to say "mmmm"
***update*** I made it again, it does keep well and is good for lunchboxes for work
Ingredients
The meat bit
200g Rice Krispies
2 x beaten eggs
Flour
4 x pork escalopes (for chicken use goujons or fillets sliced into 3 pieces each so that they cook quickly)
The salad bit
1/2 a red cabbage
3 apples (really doesn't matter if they are eating or cooking apples)
300g 0% greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Rice krispies whizzed in the food processor. That's it. Coat whatever you are cooking in flour, then dip in egg, krispies powder, egg, krispies powder and fry in a pan. Only inconvenience is needing 3 plates for each coating ingredient.
I coated them and covered with clingfilm a day before we wanted them and they were fine.
When ready to eat, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When it's hot, fry the escalopes for about 5 minutes each side - best way is to do 2.5 minutes each side twice so that you can keep an eye on the coating getting crisp but not, ahem, carcinogenic.
Salad for serving
We served it with apple slaw, from the same page of the magazine - red cabbage (grated in the kMix) and apples from our garden cut into matchsticks, mixed with yoghurt, lemon juice and wholegrain mustard.
Comments
All very nice and straightforward, and I expect the slaw would keep well in the fridge. Except we'd eaten it all by the following day. Great for entertaining because they are foods that everyone likes but the combination is unusual enough for people to say "mmmm"
***update*** I made it again, it does keep well and is good for lunchboxes for work
Friday, 30 September 2011
Filo quiche - basic idea with lots of filling potential!
Time required
20 minutes prep, 40 minutes in the oven
Base recipe
250g creme fraiche
2 x medium eggs
filo pastry (I used 5 sheets)
Sunflower oil
Filling
100g broccoli (I nuked some frozen florets before putting them in but you can put them in frozen or use fresh, nuking makes them easier to chop up)
150g soy beans (frozen)
75g sundried tomatoes
75g feta cheese
Mint, sea salt and black pepper for seasoning
Served with
Salad dressed with some spicy blueberry stuff from a local farm shop
Implements required
Loose bottom cake tin (8in)
Pastry brush
Cooking
160 degrees for ~40 mins
How to assemble
Brush the sheets of pastry with sunflower oil and layer into the tin
Mix the filling ingredients, keeping some of the veggies to sprinkle on the top
Put into the tin
Scrunch the overhanging bits of pastry down above the level of the filling
Comments
Filo pastry is fiddly, but very easy aside from that. Feels versatile and fancy doing it again with black olives and red onion, with feta, to make it like a greek salad tart to be posh. Less posh option is to use whatever bits and bobs are leftover in the fridge.
We had it warm from the oven and cold the next day as well. Great on both counts. Oh and it looks flash too.
20 minutes prep, 40 minutes in the oven
Base recipe
250g creme fraiche
2 x medium eggs
filo pastry (I used 5 sheets)
Sunflower oil
Filling
100g broccoli (I nuked some frozen florets before putting them in but you can put them in frozen or use fresh, nuking makes them easier to chop up)
150g soy beans (frozen)
75g sundried tomatoes
75g feta cheese
Mint, sea salt and black pepper for seasoning
Served with
Salad dressed with some spicy blueberry stuff from a local farm shop
Implements required
Loose bottom cake tin (8in)
Pastry brush
Cooking
160 degrees for ~40 mins
How to assemble
Brush the sheets of pastry with sunflower oil and layer into the tin
Mix the filling ingredients, keeping some of the veggies to sprinkle on the top
Put into the tin
Scrunch the overhanging bits of pastry down above the level of the filling
Comments
Filo pastry is fiddly, but very easy aside from that. Feels versatile and fancy doing it again with black olives and red onion, with feta, to make it like a greek salad tart to be posh. Less posh option is to use whatever bits and bobs are leftover in the fridge.
We had it warm from the oven and cold the next day as well. Great on both counts. Oh and it looks flash too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)