Mex Baked Pork & Roast Sweet Potato

For the roast sweet potato I used one of the small ones from the Co-op I wrote about recently. Very simple: moisten with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in equal proportion in an oven proof dish, seasoned with  a little S+P. Roast in a hot oven for 45 mins.

 

To serve, slice on diagonal.

 Marinate the chop for at least an hour in a little olive oil mixed with 1dstsp fajita spices (cayenne, paprika, garlic, cumin, oregano, onion salt), 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 dstsp lime cordial, S+P.

Slice a handful of mixed peppers (capsicums), a handful of red onions and a handful of mushrooms. Put in a casserole dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and scant S+P. Dry-fry the pork chop in a very hot wok to seal on both sides and then place on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with a little of the marinade and cover with lid. Bake in hot oven for 30 minutes, turning the chop halfway through.

Delicious!

Turkey via Florence, with Tarragon Potatoes

Christmas is coming/ R.I.P. Bernard Matthews (Part Deux)

I had this for dinner on Saturday night - I had some plain turkey escalopes in the freezer and I've always thought that they make an acceptable substitute for veal in many recipes. I had some spinach in and so I was thinking classic "Florentine" until I looked up a couple of proper recipes: I had bolognese the other night so I didn't fancy another "tomato sauce-topped-with-cheese" dish - essential ingredients of the real deal. 

So this was the result......

Dredge the turkey breast in flour, saute in a little veg oil and butter on each side to seal, add 2 sliced spring onions, 1 tsp of garlic puree and 1 tbsp finely chopped spinach. Gradually whisk in 150ml of milk and season with 1 scant tsp chicken bouillon powder and S+P to taste. Reduce until the sauce has your preferred consistency.

Cut 1 large potato (skin on) into chunks - larger than wedges, a little smaller than roasties - mix with a little olive oil, 1 tsp garlic puree and 1 dstsp dried tarragon leaves. Season with S+P and bake in a hot oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Right, that's it for turkey dishes until after the Silly Season is over.......

Christmas is coming......

Spicy-crumb Turkey Escalope
with warm yoghurt coleslaw and peppered wedges

In memory of the late Bernard Matthews, here's a reminder of how flexible turkey is...

I recently found a couple of packs of reduced-price breast cuts  in the supermarket - I batch-produced a load of spicy-crumbed escalopes, par-cooked and froze them. They take no more than 10 minutes in a hot oven, from frozen, to serve.

6 turkey breast escalopes;100g breadcrumbs, 100g flour,1tsp cajun spices (blend of chilli/cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, pepper),1tsp paprika, 1tsp mint,1tsp parsley, 1tsp cracked black pepper.

Dip the escalopes in beaten egg followed by the seasoned breadcumb mix. Deep-fry to seal them and bake in oven for approx 15 mins - a little less if you're going to freeze them.

This was the last of the batch - a bit on the small side so I treated myself to a fried egg too!

For the peppered wedges, use similar herbs & spices [to the meat]. Cut a couple of potatoes (skin on) into wedges; dredge with a little olive oil, a good shake of paprika, a pinch of cracked black pepper and one of salt. Roast in a hot oven.

The warm coleslaw was a bit of experiment - very tasty but I made a mistake by heating the yoghurt on full power in the microwave. To me, veg like carrots, cabbage and onions are excellent when nuked in a closed casserole dish - no added water - with the finished texture of steamed produce. I should have warmed the yoghurt dressing separately over water, I think though - it came out a bit scrambled-eggy!

Stir-fried Seafood Trio with Parsnip & Lentil Puree

I'd been at the reduced-price fish in the Co-op again.....
In a wok, in a little butter & oil, soften 2 handfuls of a mixture of peppers, red onions and courgettes; add a good handful of pollock in large dice,cook until the fish starts to colour. Add 1 tsp garlic puree.

Meanwhile prepare a sauce of 1 level tsp of soy, 1 level tsp of Hoi Sin,1  level tsp of balsamic vinegar, and 1 level tsp of sugar, all dissolved in 50ml of boiling water. To the wok add half a kipper fillet in large dice and a small handful of prawns (straight from frozen is fine) and stir for a minute. Move to the side of the pan and pour in the sauce to bubble. Mix in the fish and reduce to a syrupy consistency.

For the Parsnip & Lentil Puree:
Best made in advance and microwaved gently to serve.2 small parsnips cut into small dice with handful of red lentils; cover with lightly salted water in a saucepan with 1 tsp chives. Cook until parsnips are tender and lentils are cooked. Strain if necessary, retaining water. Mash and season with S+P, adding back cooking liquor if needed.

Rice would probably have been the obvious accompaniment to the oriental-style fish but wouldn't have sat that well with the vegetable puree so I went for spuds with lashings of real butter!

Baked Pork Kebabs & Mediterranean Salad

I'd been thinking about Chicken Tikka - mainated meat on skewers but cooked in a Tandoor oven rather than barbecued........

For the marinade:
Olive oil, 1 tsp garlic puree, a splash of balsamic vinegar, a splash of lemon juice, 1 scant tsp oregano and
1 scant tsp basil, half a tsp ground cinnamon;  S+P to taste.Add 225g diced pork and leave to stand for a couple of hours at least.
Thread onto skewers and roast for about 20 minutes - I've still got a thing about tapeworms etc (Jewish ancestry!) so I like my pork well-done,  though I have been known to eat raw bacon rinds! Go figure!



For the salad:
Dressed with same ingredients as the meat marinade but with extra lemon juice. Torn cos lettuce, shredded cabbage; handful of chickpeas; celery, green peppers, diced tomato, red onion and courgette - I've given up cucumber for the winter (they don't last) and find this a blandly-acceptable substitute!

 On a bed of Basmati rice with a home-made mint yoghurt relish.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Everyone's got their own way of making this - I don't think mine is particularly original but, as with Art, I know what I like.......and I like lots of sauce!

A handful of dried spaghetti per person, plunged into boiling, slightly-salted water. I then add a dash of olive oil and cook to al dente. Strain the spaghetti, reserving the cooking water, and rinse under cold water. Bring the cooking water back to the boil and when the sauce is ready put the spaghetti back in the cooking water for no more than a minute. Drain and serve.

For the sauce: 2 handfuls very finely chopped onions, softened; add 150-200g mince to the pan and when colouring slightly add 3 tsp garlic puree and continue to cook. Next, add 2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp basil; stir in1scant tsp flour to make a roux and cook though. Gradually add half a.5 tin of  tomatoes - break them up with a wooden spoon whether you're using chopped or whole - and as the sauce thickens whisk in 2 tsp of tomato puree and 50ml water. Season with 1 scant tsp veg bouillon powder, 1 scant tsp sugar and S+P to taste. Grated cheese and a good twist of black pepper to finish........

Stuffed Omelette

A heathy-ish lunch. A two-egg omelette bursting with onions, mixed peppers, courgettes and strips of ham: but instead of frying the fillings cook them for 2 minutes in a closed casserole dish in the microwave - almost the same effect as steaming!

I bound mine with a scoop each of a Boursin-style garlic & herb cheese and a full-fat soft cheese but I'm sure a low fat one would work just as well.

Multigrain bread and butter to complete!

Chorizo Sausages & tomato-braised vegetables

The cheating cook's at it again! As spanish as Andrew Sachs in Fawlty Towers but very tasty. I picked up these sausages in Asda, reduced to £1.40 for 3 - labelled chorizo but in my opinion just pork and paprika.

 Rather than trying to imitate Patatas Bravas, I roasted some new potatoes in their skin with garlic and went for a casseroled cousin of ratatouille: a handful of sliced courgettes, some button mushrooms, a red onion cut in rustic chunks, a tomato quartered, and some black olives. Add tomato juice to half-fill the dish, with 1tsp garlic puree & 1 tsp basil mixed in and bake for about 30-40 minutes - I did the sausages and potatoes at the same time.

Delicious with a big glass of red!

Pan-Asian Chicken Curry & Rice

This is about as authentic as Chicken Tikka Masala but I at least I was listening to Imrat Khan & Latif Ahmed Khan playing Rad Madhur Ranjani (for sitar & tabla) while I was cooking!

I hadn't previously decided what to eat so I went to the pub for a think - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Vicky, the barmaid, and a drinking buddy had just ordered a takeaway curry - and, when it arrived, the smell......... Keith was having Chicken Tikka Masala ( 2 nights on the run/runs), which I delighted in telling him originated with tinned tomato soup in Brum (or somewhere in the West Midlands). So, curry it had to be!

My herbs and spices are running a bit low and I'd used up the last of a bag of sweet potatoes the previous day so I made this up as I went along.........

Ingredients:1 handful of diced potato microwaved for 2 mins and then fried in a little oil with 1 handful of softened onion and 1 chicken breast in slices. Add 1 tsp garlic puree, 2 tsp Madras Curry powder, 1 tsp Thai Green Curry Paste, 3 tsp dessicated coconut (I had no coconut milk in), 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 scant tsp chilli powder. When the meat and potato are coloured stir in 1 tsp flour to make a roux and then gradually whisk in 1cup of milk (but be prepared to add extra if the sauce thickens too much). Add 2 tsp of tomato puree, 1 scant tsp sugar, 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder and  S+P to taste. Finally add a handful of cooked chickpeas, heat through and stir in 2 more tsp dessicated coconut and  2 dstsp natural yoghurt just before service. I only ever buy Basmati rice for general use. Drizzle with mint yoghurt.

Braised Steak, Red Wine Jus, Mixed Mash & Veg

Approx 200g of braising or stewing steak - I bloody wish they'd label these in supermarkets by cut: e.g Top Rump, Shin etc - per person; 1 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped.

Fry the meat in a lttle oil to brown and transfer to a casserole dish; cook the onions in the same pan to colour and deglaze with 100ml of red wine and about 50ml of water. Add to the meat, season with S+P, put on lid and bake in oven at Gas Mk4 for about 90 minutes.

This is my favourite type of mash: one medium potato peeled and diced, and the same amount of sweet potato. The Co-op's selling some strange little ones at the moment which are pretty good value......
Boil vigorously in slightly-salted water until nearly collapsing. Drain and reserve cooking water; mash and add back a little liquor to a soft consistency - no need to use butter because of the taste and consistency of the sweet potatoes. Check seasoning and add S+P as required. I keep the rest of the water for a soup-base.

I served mine with batons of carrot and swede and buttered shredded Savoy cabbage.
Bon Appetit!

Jacket Potato Pizza

Not really!....Actually a baked potato scooped out and mixed with typical pizza toppings...

Bake a big potato in a hot oven for about an hour - or cheat like me and microwave for about 6 minutes and then put in the oven to dry out and crisp up. When soft in the middle, cut in half and carefully scoop out the flesh. Mixed with softened onion and peppers - or chilli for a bite - a good handful of mozzarella, some chopped tomato and diced ham. Put back into the shells, sprinkle with more grated mozzarella and bake for another 10 minutes or so..

Note the Virgin Mary Cocktail for the hangover!

Irish Stew Casserole

300g lamb chops - I used frozen misshapes from Cool Trader; 2 handfuls onions chopped; 3 large handfuls potatoes in large dice; 2 handfuls diced swede;3 handfuls carrot diced; a handful of cooked barley.

Fry the meat (from frozen is fine) to colour, and put in casserole dish. Cook the onions in the same frying pan for about 2 minutes and deglaze with 0.5L water mixed with 1 tsp mint, 1 tsp veg bouillon and 1 tsp chicken bouillon, plus S+P to taste. Add to the casserole dish with all the other ingredients. Put in the oven on Gas Mk 3.

I went out to the pub - for 2 hours - and had to add another 200ml of water when I got back! I would guess it was actually ready at 70-90 minutes.

Noodle Salad with Spicy Tomatoes & Tuna

This was a lunchtime dish of leftovers, really.
For the spicy tomatoes: 4 halved Cherry toms sauteed with a dash of olive oil, S+P, a pinch of chilli powder, a dash of worcester sauce and a dash of balsamic vinegar. On another day I might have added sugar & basil.

2 handfuls cooked noodles - in my case actually spaghetti from the night before! Shredded carrot - I use a potato peeler rather than grating. A quarter of a red onion, shredded  in 2cm lengths; a handful sliced celery and a handful of cooked green beans in 2cm lengths. 2 dstsp tuna (that's all I had left in the fridge).

For the dressing: 1dstsp French dressing mixed with 1dstsp lime cordial, 1dstsp soy sauce and S+P to taste.

Braised Pork in cider, home-grown roast veg

My friend Vicky texted me from the pub the other day to say that she'd brought in some home-grown veg for me - she's been promising me all sorts of delights from her garden for several weeks now! Some cherry tomatoes, on the vine, lasted about 2 minutes before I'd scoffed the lot! The baby aubergines had been grown in the open and she was concerned they might be a bit hard; the shape of the courgette might not have satisfied the supermarket purchasing polizei but looked excellent to me!

 

 

My roast vegetables included carrot, for a change from the mundane: a little olive oil to moisten, a sprinkle of S+P (I've never held with pre-salting and draining aubergines) on the carrot and aubergine and  into a hot oven for 20-25 minutes; add the courgette batons and the red onions, mix well and bake for a further 20-25 minutes.

 

 

I had earlier poured myself a glass of cider but decided after a couple of sips that it was too flat to drink......The pork loin steaks I had were too small to have just one so I augmented with 3 rashers of bacon (rather than being REALLY greedy and gorging on 2 steaks!). Into a casserole dish with a cup of cider, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp chopped chives and 2 quartered mushrooms. Bake @ Gas Mk 6 for 30 mins, pour off the cider into a pan (keeping meat warm) and bubble vigorously to reduce to about a kitchen spoonful (approx 50ml). Check seasoning - I added a little S+P and half a tsp sugar to get the flavour I wanted.

New potatoes slathered with real butter to complete - what a trumph!

Pasta with gammon, olives & med veg

A simple but delicious dinner I've been meaning to cook most of the week - but just didn't get round to! A handful of diced gammon sauteed with garlic, onions, peppers, courgettes and mushrooms until softened; add a teaspooon of flour and make a roux; stir in milk and add a handful of grated cheddar. Flavour with chicken bouillon powder, oregano, salt and cracked black pepper.

Stir in a few olives and a dash of olive oil. Add to cooked pasta and serve - I had mine with a simple mixed salad and a toasted garlic bagel - a knob of butter mixed with garlic puree and a pinch of chopped parsley.

Full now!

Buck Rarebit

 

 

Defrost 2 beer ice cubes - if you don't know this Cheat's Tip: fill a couple of ice cube trays with beer (flat leftovers are fine but strain out the ciggy butts first!) and when they're frozen store in a bag. Adding a couple to a basic stew really lifts the flavour!

In a bowl with the beer add 4 handfuls grated cheddar, 50 ml milk, 50 ml beaten egg, 1 dstsp Worcester, 3 tsp English mustard and  a pinch of S+P. Mix well.

Toast 2 slices on both sides, butter each and dollop the rarebit mix thickly on top; put under preheated grill. In a pan on the stove poach an egg or two.

When the cheese mix is bubbling and browning, top with poached egg and eat!

Business in Birkenhead Buffet (Part Deux)

I had a thoroughly enjoyable and successful night yesterday: meeting new people, catching up with old friends and contacts - including the lovely (and supremely-talented) Annie Long who gave me an autographed copy of her new CD Swan Song. (Annie on Youtube performing live at Ness Gardens)

......and I received lots of welcome compliments for my food!!!

We're hoping that the next meeting will be a Christmas Social - so I'd better dust off the recipe for Turkey & Cranberry Meatballs - possibly with Annie performing live!

Bon appetit!

Business in Birkenhead Buffet

Just putting the finishing touches.......

 Garlicky Hummus

Mixing the pork & paprika

 

Chicken Tikka Kofte and Pork & Paprika ready to fry

 Red Pepper & Cheddar Bruschetta in progress

Pollock En Papillote With Dauphinoise Potatoes

For the Dauphinoise:
A cup of milk, brought to a quick simmer; add a heaped tsp veg bouillon powder, a good pinch of pepper, a pinch of salt and pinch of nutmeg. Stir well and whisk in 1 heaped tsp cornflour dissolved in a little water. Stir in to form a thick sauce.

 

 

Peel 2 medium potatoes and slice into 0.5cm rounds. Grease bottom of oven-proof dish and layer with potatoes; salt lightly and cover with a small handful of sliced onions. Top with another layer of potatoes and pour over sauce. Bake uncovered on gas Mk 6 for 45-50 minutes.

The main part of the meal was not strictly "En Papillote" as I baked the fish in a parcel of tin foil, on a bed of baby spinach leaves - and the lovely white Pollock became slightly discoloured! Simply wrap the fish in baking parchment (or tin foil), season with S+P and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes. 

Voila!

Piquant Pork & Pineapple

180g pork cut in strips; a 2cm thick slice of pineapple, skinned and cored, cut in batons; a small handful red peppers in strips; 4 sugar snap peas diagonally cut into thirds; 1 spring onion chopped.

Soften the snow-peas and peppers, add the meat and brown; add the pineapple and toss. Season with S+P, add 1 dstsp ginger puree, 1 dstp marmalade and a scant tsp cinnamon. Mix well and add spring onions, followed by 100ml water, 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder and 1 tsp tomato puree. Bring to the boil and add another dstsp of marmalade and 1 scant tsp sugar. Bubble vigorously until the sauce reduces and thickens.

 

 

 Served with basmati rice

 

Mediterranean Vegetables with Couscous & Meatballs

I came back from the pub, starving, and wanted something quick and spicy. I boiled the kettle and poured hot water over the couscous in bowl. In a wok I sauteed some red onions with peppers, courgettes, halved cherry tomatoes (I bought 2 punnets reduced to 25p each on Sunday) with some garlic, chopped chillies from a jar and a handful of chick peas from the freezer. 

(CHEAT'S TIP: I cook a whole bag of dried chickpeas in the pressure cooker, rinse and spread out on a tray; freeze overnight and then store in a resealable bag - they only take a minute to defrost for use).

I added to the veg mix a little ground coriander, cumin, paprika, sugar, oregano and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I did another cheat and opened a tin of meatballs in gravy and put half in with the veg mix, heated through, stirred in the cooked couscous and....

 
......a delicious meal in less than 10 minutes!

Cottage Pie with Pork and Chives

I'd been out at The Liverpool Food Festival earlier and had Jerk Chicken with Peas 'n' rice for breakfast/lunch so I fancied something traditional for tea - except I used a mixed mince of beef and pork (only a £1.00 for 400g from Asda, and not full of grease or water) and I spiced it up with garlic and chives!

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

Peel a couple of medium potatoes and boil in salted water. Mash.
In another pan soften a handful of onions, stir in 200g mince (pork and beef) and brown the meat. Add 2tsp garlic puree and 1 dstsp chives (dried). Stir in 1 tsp flour to make a roux, add 100ml water and 1 scant tsp beef bouillon. Boil rapidly to reduce. Mine looked a bit pale but I slightly overdid the gravy browning! Put into an oven-proof pie dish, top with mash - score with a fork and brush with beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes in a very hot oven.

Grand!

Tuna & Wasabi Mayo, Drizzled Tomato

It was getting towards lunchtime on this lovely, Indian-summery, day - and I got the mental taste of tomatoes ....drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and maybe a pinch of salt.... Luckily I've got a good local greengrocers less than a five-minute walk away. So, English tomatoes, garnished with cucumber, stoned black olives and a few shreds of red onion. The tuna was an afterthought!

Half a tin of drained tuna chunks mixed with 2d stsp of mayo, 2 cm squeeze of Wasabi (I buy it in a tube like a toothpaste one = 1 tsp); 1 tsp tomato ketchup; 1dstsp cooked green beans, chopped; 1 heaped dstsp red onions, thinly-sliced; a small handful of celery, thinly sliced; 2 dstsp mixed peppers, chopped. I heaped mine on cup of lettuce leaves: I used Cos............

Sirloin Sandwich

 I picked up a piece of reduced-price rolled sirloin at Asda this morning - at just over half a kilo, too small for 3 steaks but a tad too greedy for only 2! I put it into the freezer for about 45 minutes and then carved 2 slices off before halving the remainder for 2 generous portions.

I heated a wok with a little veg oil, when it was smoking I tipped the oil away and gave the meat 20 seconds on each side; served with buttered red onions, lettuce, tomato and plenty of English mustard......

Cheese with a Communard

  

Most of you sophisticats will have heard of Kir (white wine & creme de cassis) or my favourite, Kir Royale (with champagne) But who knows what a Communard is?
 

I was digging into the cheese board late the other night and really craved a glass of Port - red wine just didn't cut it on this occasion.......Then I had a brainwave - yes, you've guessed where this is going!
 

I thought that red wine and creme de cassis was my own invention, but no: it's called a Communard Cocktail. Did the trick too!

Light Lunch Salad Bowl

Cos lettuce, diced radish, sweet yellow peppers, celery, red onion, mature cheddar & double gloucester cheeses, garlic sausage, kidney beans, raw peas, tossed with a classic French dressing (with oregano & basil added) and topped with a poached egg. Craving bread & butter, but I'm being good!