Jamaican Jerk Paste

This weekend I am hoping for good weather. We have planned a bbq and as everyone knows, certainly in the UK, that planning a bbq is about the same effect as doing a rain dance. We want it to be beautiful and sunny - chances are it will rain. However, I am staying positive and already making plans for the food.

One dish I know will be going on the bbq, is my Jamaican Jerk Chicken. Its a recipe I have played with for years but now have it perfect. Its not one for the faint hearted though - its pretty hot. I just made a batch and used 8 large scotch bonnets which is usually about right.

Ingredients:

15g Ground Allspice
180g soft brown sugar
7 garlic cloves
7-8 scotch bonnet chillies
1 tbsp. dried thyme
180g spring onions (scallions)
1 tsp. cinnamon
half a tsp. nutmeg
a little salt & pepper
Soy sauce

Method:

Simply put all of the ingredients apart from the soy sauce into  food processor. Process until all finely chopped and is a thick paste. Add about 2 tbsp. soy sauce to loosen a little, blend again, and its done.

Now you can marinade chicken, fish... anything you like. Don't forget though - its pretty spicy, so make sure you serve it with a nice cooling coleslaw!

This marinade keeps well in the fridge for about 3 months.

Spanish Pork, Chorizo & Beans One Pot

At every chance I get I am telling people about pork cheeks. They are becoming slightly more popular and so they should. They are a slow cook, melt in the mouth type of pork and they are still so cheap!! I made sure I bought some with the last shop - they cost less than £2 for four large cheeks - easily a meal for four if served with potato or rice. 

I didn't have a recipe in mind when I bought them.. in fact I didn't right up until I cooked them. It was one of those peer in the cupboard and fridge moments, trying to see what worked well. I had some chorizo my Spanish neighbour brought back for me from Barcelona. And I know I always have a tin of cannellini beans in the cupboard. So we have this: Spanish pork cheeks with chorizo, leeks & beans & a cheeky dash of sherry.

Ingredients:      

4 (280g) pork cheeks, each cut into four
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
120g cooking chorizo, thickly sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
50ml sherry
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 pint chicken stock (cube is fine)
400g cannellini beans, rinsed
salt & pepper
parsley, to garnish

Method:

In a casserole dish, heat the oil and fry the pork pieces until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and put onto a plate. Add the chorizo to the casserole dish and cook until browned. Add to the pork (on the plate).

Then add the onion to the pan, cook until translucent and then add the leek and garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the sherry and continue to cook, scraping off browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the flour, paprika and thyme. Stir in well to cook out the floury taste for a couple of minutes and then add the stock. Add the pork and chorizo to the dish. Stir well, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and leave on a very low heat for about two and a half hours.

When the time is up, add the cannellini beans and season to taste. Turn heat to medium to heat through the beans. Serve with a little parsley and a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the juices. The taste will take you to the mountains in Spain - delicious!

Vietnamese Lettuce Wrapped Chicken

I first had this dish at a Chinese restaurant in Chingford in London about 25 years ago. I continue to order it as it seems to be in most Asian restaurants. The nearest to my home is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant which serves the best lettuce wrapped chicken and we love it.

You can buy bamboo shoots and water chestnuts in a tin these days, from most supermarkets which makes it nice and easy.

You simply serve it on a platter with crispy leaves of lettuce so you can spoon in the crispy noodles and chicken with a teaspoon of hoisin sauce, roll up and eat with your fingers. Delicious!

Ingredients:      (Serves 4)

3 chicken breasts, skin removed and chopped finely
3 tbsp. vegetable oil  plus 200ml for noodles
120g water chestnuts
120g bamboo shoots
120g button mushrooms
1 carrot
6 spring onions (scallions) plus 1 for garnish
small piece fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
100g rice vermicelli noodles1 ice berg lettuce (or little gems) leaves separated

Method:
Combine 2 tbsp. soy sauce and 2 tbsp. cornflour in a bowl. Add the chopped chicken. Stir to combine and leave for 10 minutes.

Combine 2 tbsp. soy with 1 tsp. cornflour and 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the chopped chicken. Stir fry for 5 minutes and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Keep to one side 

Chop the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, carrot, spring onions, garlic and ginger into very small dice. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil and heat. Then add all the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the reserved soy/cornflour mixture. Stir to combine.

In a wide pan or flat bottomed wok, heat the 100 ml of oil, To test if its hot enough, break off a piece of noodle and throw it in the pan. It will sizzle loudly when it is. When the oil is hot, add the noodles in one go (should all fit - depends on whether you are using a wok or pan). They will crisp up in seconds, so be careful. Turn the over to do the other side for a couple of seconds then remove and drain on kitchen paper.

To serve: Put the noodles onto a warmed platter and pile the chicken and vegetables on top. Drizzle with hoisin sauce and maybe some raw shredded spring onions and serve with the iceberg broken down into leaves to act as cups. Serve with hoisin sauce.

Peking Duck with Plum Sauce

If I had known how easy this dish was to make I would have certainly been making this years ago. But its not difficult if you do it this way. Rather than roast a whole duck, you just cook one duck leg per person and that is a perfect amount of crispy duck each. This dish was actually made because of the large number of plums I had brought cheaply from the market - am glad I did because it was lovely.

Ingredients:           (serves 2)

2 duck legs
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 star anise
3 cloves garlic, bashed
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil

Put the duck legs in a saucepan with the star anise, soy sauce, garlic and enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for two and a half hours.

When the time is up, set the oven to 200 C and take the duck out of the cooking stock. Pat dry with kitchen paper and put onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Whisk the oil and hoisin sauce until combined and paint over the duck legs. Put in the oven for approx. 25 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with sliced cucumber, sliced spring onion, pancakes, some hoisin sauce and the plum sauce. Let the diner do their own shredding of the meat - its fun food!

For the plum sauce:

12 ripe plums
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Pop into a pan with a little splash of water, the sugar, allspice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then cook on a medium heat until the plums have broken down (about 20 minutes). Put into a serving dish and leave to cool.

Authentic Irish Stew

I am calling this authentic in part because I am originally from Dublin and this is the recipe I have used for about 30 years. But also because I see so many recipes for Irish Stew that call for lamb stock. celery, beef (?), herbs and various other ingredients which are not, in my opinion, the original and best Irish stew. 

All you need to use for this dish is lamb, potatoes, onion, carrots and simple water. The dish is meant to be simple and you get all the flavour from the lamb, onions and carrots. It is meant to be a broth - it doesn't need thickeners, or added vegetables. Although plenty of salt and pepper is always lovely. And a side order of soda bread just tops it off. Authentic, proper, original Irish Stew, in all its comforting home cooked glory!

Ingredients:                (serves 2-3)

2 large lamb rump steaks (or neck fillet)
2 onions
3 potatoes
3 carrots
salt & pepper
parsley to serve.

Method:

Trim any excess fat off the lamb and cut into cubes. Peel the carrots and cut into 1 inch slices. Slice the onions and potatoes.

In a casserole dish put half of the carrots and onions, then half of the lamb, followed by half of the potato slices. Season with salt & black pepper. Then repeat with another layer ending with the potatoes and more salt & pepper. Add enough water to just barely cover the top layer of potatoes and put onto the gas hob to bring to the boil. As soon as its boils, turn the heat down to low and leave with the lid mostly on (leave  a little gap) for about an hour and a half.

Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with parsley and with a few slices of soda bread. Simple and comforting.

Leftover Roast Chicken & Gravy Pie

Now if you are an avid reader of this blog you may start to notice that I roast a fair number of chickens. My main reason? I love roast chicken, of course. Also, I love the fact that the leftovers of a roast chicken brings me all sorts of goodies. This was one of those. There was so much chicken left, including a whole breast and a leg - soup only needs the bits stripped off the bones - so I reserved all that juicy cooked meat. I now had cooked chicken and a large jug of leftover gravy (I always make too much).

The simplest thing to do was make a chicken pie. The great thing was that I didn't have to make a sauce - I had the gravy. And I didn't need to add any herbs as the gravy already had them in it. Here's all I had to do.

Ingredients:

leftover chicken
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
handful green beans, chopped
leftover gravy
1 x pack readymade shortcrust pastry
1 egg (for egg wash)

Method:

Set the oven to 180 C. Fry the onion and carrot in the oil on a medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the onion beginning to brown. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and gravy and mix well. Pour into a pie dish.

Roll out the pastry (I didn't even do that as I had bought ready rolled!) and cover the pie. Crimp the sides, use cut off pastry to make leaf shapes for the top and generously brush with whisked egg.

Pop in the oven for about 25 minutes when the pie is golden. Serve with mashed potatoes or chips and peas. Easy peasey!

 

 

 

Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Pancetta and Peas

To all of those out there who find making potato gnocchi a little bit...well...precarious, you will love this recipe. You want them to be light and fluffy but occasionally they become a little chewy. It can take years of practice (believe me I know), but this ricotta based gnocchi is light and delicious every time!

Gnocchi is of course, Italian and are meant to be light dough balls made with potato. This is a Tuscan recipe called malfatti (the word literally means "poorly made" - but then I say easily made and tastier!) and is made with ricotta, spinach, flour and parmesan. Light as a cloud and after boiling can be dropped straight into a rich sauce or in this case, lightly fried with pancetta and peas. Its lovely.

Ingredients:           (Serves 2-3)

250g ricotta
2oz frozen spinach
1/2 whisked egg
2 tbsp. parmesan
1 (4.5 oz.) cup flour
90g pack pancetta slices
150g (1 cup) frozen peas
2-3 tbsp. cream
oil & parmesan, to serve

Method:    

Defrost the spinach in a little boiling water for 5 minutes, then squeeze as much water out of it as you can. Put into a hand blender. Add half of the ricotta with the half egg and blend until combined. Put into a larger bowl and mix in the remaining ricotta and the parmesan.

Add the flour in two batches, mixing well to make a soft dough; knead gently. On a floured work surface, and floured hands, half the dough into two balls. Roll the first out to make a long sausage shape about a foot long. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Take each piece and make a fork indentation on the top. Put onto a plate covered with greaseproof paper and continue until all of the dough sausage is used up. Roll out the second ball of dough and continue.

Boil a large wide pan of water and add 1 tsp. salt. Add a layer of the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top (should take a minute or two). If any are sticking onto the bottom, give them a nudge and they should rise. Take out the cooked ones while you cook the rest and when all finished, put them all back in the water together. Now drain in a colander which has the frozen peas in it to defrost them and set the colander containing the peas and gnocchi to one side.

Leaving four pancetta rashers as they are (for garnish) slice the rest. Heat the oil in a pan and fry both the rashers and the slices until crisp, drain on kitchen paper and set to one side. Add the gnocchi and peas to the same pan with the pancetta fat and cook for a few moments, until the peas and gnocchi are heated through and the is gnocchi is browning a little. Add the pancetta pieces back to the pan. Toss together. Add the cream and stir through.

Serve with the crispy pancetta slices, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & black pepper and a generous grating of parmesan. Eat and enjoy!

Chicken with Chorizo & Avocado Bulgur Wheat

This is a bit of an 'all in' dish where you get so many varying flavours, that each mouthful is different. Little pieces of crispy chorizo, creamy avocado, roast tomatoes, chicken, spinach... its healthy and so, so tasty.

Its not often that I eat bulgur wheat as I tend to prefer couscous, which is similar, but I was determined to like it more by getting lots of flavour into it. The Bloke loved it, as did I. Simple, colourful and pretty healthy and in this case, served with a juicy pan fried chicken breast. This is a dish for one of my aunts in Ireland, she loves avocado and would love this! Here you go Mona.

Ingredients:                (Serves 2)

3 tomatoes
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. + drizzle olive oil
80-100g cooking chorizo (chopped)
100g bulgur wheat
100g frozen spinach (or fresh)
2 chicken breasts, skin removed
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 avocado, peeled & chopped
2 apricots, stoned & sliced
4 spring onions (scallions)
1 lime
salt & pepper

Method:

Cut the tomatoes in half and put into a small roasting dish. Drizzle over 1 tsp. oil, the sugar & salt and put into a hot oven (about 220 C) for approx. 35 minutes, until beginning to blacken. Turn the oven off and leave in the oven to dry out while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Fry the chorizo in a dry frying pan on a high heat until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and put in the still warm oven with the tomatoes to keep warm.
 
Cook the bulgur wheat in boiling water for approx. 8 minutes or until its tender Add the spinach a couple of minutes before cooking time finished. Drain and set to one side in a large bowl.

Put the chicken breasts in between two sheets of cling film (saran wrap) and hit the fat part with a rolling pin to flatten out the chicken and make it more even to cook. Put onto a plate and sprinkle with the smoked paprika, a little salt & pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cook the chicken in a frying pan with 1 tsp. oil, both sides, until cooked through. Slice into 1 cm slices.

Now take the bowl of bulgur wheat and stir in the chorizo, apricots, spring onions and avocado. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season to taste and pile onto a platter or plate. Top with the roasted tomatoes and the chicken and serve.

Pork & Beef Meatball Spaghetti (Low Fat)

The best thing I like about this dish is that you can miss the effort of having to fry the meatballs in batches and can just bake them all in one go. And not frying means less fat used. I also used both lean beef and lean pork as I am trying to keep things low fat. True, they are a little drier for the lack of fat but as they are served in a lovely homemade tomato sauce you still get the flavour with so much less calories! 

This recipe makes about 30 so its a great one for dinner and then freezing a batch or two for a later date once cooked.

Meatballs in their sauce also goes beautifully with some lovely bread, like a baguette. Sliced and ready to dip into the sauce. A family staple meal of delicious meatballs.

Ingredients:    (Serves 6)

500g pack lean beef mince
500g pack lean pork mince
2 slices bread, chopped (white or brown, crust removed)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
salt & pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp. grated parmesan + shavings to serve
fresh basil to serve
spaghetti (100g per person)

Method:

Soak the bread in a small bowl with the milk for a minute. Fry the onion in 1 tsp. of oil until translucent (about 5 mins).  In a large bowl mix the cooked onions and soaked bread with all of the remaining ingredients apart from the fresh basil and spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Cover and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then make small balls of the meat mixture, about 1 1/2cm in diameter and put onto a baking sheet covered in greaseproof paper.

Bake in a hot oven set at 220 C for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and browned. Pop into your favourite tomato sauce or use my recipe below.

For the sauce:

2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, sliced thinly
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper

Fry the onion in a little oil in a pan until cooked. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another 2 mins. Add the tomatoes, herbs, vinegar and sugar. Add a little water to loosen (about 50ml), season and leave to cook on a gentle heat for 10 mins.

Garnish the whole dish with shaved parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Salmon Caesar Salad

Back in the 1990's I must have ordered the chicken version of this dish at least once a week for my lunch at a restaurant I frequented. Its such a simple salad with crunchy lettuce and parmesan. I am not normally one to mix cheese with fish - it seems so wrong to me - but the salmon with this parmesan salad worked. Its lovely a makes a change from the chicken.

You can easily buy bottled Caesar salad dressing to make this a quick meal. I have added a recipe for my version of the dressing if you want to try that too. If you make up the dressing first, the rest just falls into place really quickly too. Served with a baked potato, its a lovely fresh, healthy dinner.

Ingredients:    (Serves 2)

2 salmon fillets, skin removed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 baby gem lettuces
30g parmesan, shaved
bottled Caesar dressing (or my recipe below)
1/2 small baguette, cubed
2 baking potatoes

Method:

Set the oven to 200 C. Prick the potatoes with a fork and put in the oven for between 60-90 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes). Place the baguette cubes onto a baking tray, drizzle with oil and a pinch of each salt & pepper. Put in the oven under the potatoes for 5 minutes then remove and set to one side.

Mix the 2 tbsp. olive oil, paprika, oregano and garlic in a bowl and add the salmon fillets while the potatoes are cooking to marinade.

About ten minutes before the potatoes are ready, heat a frying pan and pan fry one side of the salmon for about 6-7 minutes, turn them over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes until cooked through (depending on the thickness of the salmon).

Put the lettuce in a large salad bowl with the parmesan and croutons and about 1/3 cup of Caesar dressing. Mix well and put half of the salad onto each plate. Top with the salmon and serve with the jacket potato. Simple and tasty.

If you want to try my dressing, its very simple to make and is a twist on home made mayonnaise, with more Dijon and a few other flavourings. This recipe makes enough for four.

Mustardy Caesar Dressing

1 egg yolk
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

With an electric hand mixer, or a blender, mix the egg yolk and the lemon juice until frothy. Add the oils while still whisking until it emulsifies and becomes thicker. Add the remaining ingredients and keep mixing until combined.  Happy cooking!

Elderflower Cordial

Every June without fail, I spot the flowers of the Elder (Sambucus nigra) all around me and immediately get picking the fresh little flower heads to make some Elderflower Cordial. I am lucky to live in an area where there are so many bushes of elderflower; there is even a little in my garden. Elderflower cordial has historically been popular in North Western Europe for decades and recipes have even been found as far back as the Romans. Nowadays it is everywhere including the US, Germany, Austria, Romania and Hungary.

For those who haven't tasted it - it is a delicate floral cordial which you mix with water as a refreshing drink. You can of course, mix it with champagne or sparkling wine for an extra treat!!

Ingredients:

2.5kg sugar
1.5 litres water
2 lemons
20 elderflower heads
85g citric acid (available from chemists)

Method:

In your largest pot, gently heat the sugar and water together until the sugar is dissolved. Then turn up the heat to bring it to a boil. Then turn it off.

Fill a bowl, or the sink, with cold water and dip in each flower head, swishing it lightly to clean and remove any possible bugs. Add the flower heads to the sugar syrup along with the citric acid.

Pare the rind from the lemons and then slice thickly. Add the rind and the sliced lemons to the pot, giving it all a good stir. Pop a lid on the pot and leave to steep for 24 hours.

When the time is up, use a ladle to strain the mix through a clean tea towel. Then transfer to a jug and put into sterilised bottles.  

After steeping

Strain through clean tea towel

 

 

 

Asian Beef Salad with Spring Rolls

Yesterday was a long day of training (for the marathon) followed by four hours of gardening. A beautiful summers day, it was lovely to be out in the sunshine. I had two lovely looking beef fillets that I had earlier planned to simply pan fry, but now I not only wanted a salad; I wanted to see some colour on my plate, having been working with the flowers all day. I decided to travel to the Far East and make an Asian beef noodle salad.

Ingredients:

2 x fillet steaks (beef), sliced thinly
25g coriander, leaves and stems separated
1 inch piece ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 lemon
1 lime
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar
2 red chillies (I used birds eye)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
4 inch piece cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced  thinly
2 tbsp. cornflour (cornstarch)
rice noodles
chopped peanuts, to serve
1 sliced red chilli, to serve

Method

To make the dressing, put the coriander stalks, garlic, ginger, sugar, lemon and lime zest and juice into a hand blender and blitz until finely chopped. Put the beef slices into a bowl and stir half of the dressing through the beef. Marinade in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

In a large bowl, mix the red onion, coriander leaves & cucumber and set to one side. Cook the noodles as to packet instructions, rinse in fresh water and drain.

Fry the beef strips in batches for about 2 minutes until cooked. Now add the noodles and beef to the salad bowl along with the other half of the dressing. Stir well.

Serve topped with the chopped peanuts and some freshly chopped chilli and coriander.

I also served this with some of my Easy Baked Spring Rolls (recipe here) and some dips. Colourful, fragrant and delicious! Enjoy!

Oxtail Dutch Bitterballen

A couple of months ago I made Ham Hock Bitterballen (recipe here) which were delicious. This time I have made them with oxtail. When I have been in the Netherlands eating these delectable crispy meat filled balls (dipped generously in mustard!) they have always been with beef. So this is definitely closer to the original. And a nice change from oxtail stew.

I know its off putting to have a two day process, but it is worth it as there is SO much fat with oxtails. I love them and wanted to find a way to still enjoy them without the mild disgust at heaps of saturated fat! The best way to remove fat from oxtail is to cook it the day before, separate the meat from the stock and put in the fridge overnight. The fat will rise to the top of the jug of stock and you simply remove it and use. Remember to separate the meat from the stock or the fat will stick to any bits of exposed meat making it tough to pick off. You can make these crispy lovely Dutch Bitterballen.

Serve these to guests at a party as a wonderful finger food - they will love them!

To cook the oxtail (Day 1):

6 pieces oxtail (some large, some smaller)
2 tbsp. flour
large pinch salt & pepper
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 litre beef stock

Method:

Set the oven to 170 C. Put the oxtail in a plastic freezer bag with the flour, salt & pepper. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and fry the oxtail on all sides to brown. Remove from the pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking quickly on a high heat and stirring. Add the stock and bay leaves and pop a lid on the casserole dish. Leave to cook for about 4 hours and then remove from the oven and leave to cool. When cool, take the meat out and shred it into a bowl, cover and pop in the fridge. Sieve the stock, discarding the onion and bay leaves and put the stock into a large jug or bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, there will be a layer of solid fat on top of the stock. Remove and discard. Now you are ready to make the Bitterballen!

To make the Bitterballen (Day 2):

30g butter
30g flour
400ml stock from oxtail (fat removed)
shredded oxtail meat
nutmeg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
oil for frying
2 eggs
fine breadcrumbs

Method:

Put the butter in a medium pan and melt. Add the flour, stir well and let the flour cook out for a few moments. Slowly add the stock, stirring all the time, until its a creamy sauce.

Add the shredded oxtail to the sauce along with the garlic powder, mustard, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Spread out onto a plate and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.

Beat the eggs and put into a dish. Put the breadcrumbs in another dish beside it. Have a bowl of cold water handy to wet your hands before rolling. With wet hands, pick about a tablespoon of the cold oxtail mix and roll into a ball. Carry on until all rolled. Then dip the first one in egg, then breadcrumbs, then repeat so they have two layers of crumb (makes them crispier).

Keep dipping the other rolled balls until all completed. Heat oil to about 2 inches in a heavy based pan and when hot, fry the Bitterballen for about 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven until all cooked. Serve piping hot with mustard for dipping on the side. Absolutely delicious!

Ostrich Steak with Potato & Celeriac Mash

This week there is a 3rd off the price of Ostrich steak at Ocado and boy am I buying lots. I absolutely love ostrich. Not the actual bird so much, because a bird that is bigger than me still manages to scare the heebie jeebies out of me, but the meat is delicious! Cooked simply like a fillet beef steak, it is sort of sweeter and has not one jot of fat in it (which I love).

Paired with a little garlic butter and celeriac and potato mash it just makes such a lovely dinner. Another one of my favourites, I could eat this every day. And the health implications are fabulous. A 3oz skinless chicken breast has 140 calories and 0.9 saturated fat in grams. Ostrich has 96 calories and zero saturated fat! And its delicious.

Ingredients:       (Serves 2)

2 ostrich steaks
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 celeriac, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. butter

Method:

Boil the potato and celeriac until soft. Drain and mash with the butter

Fry the ostrich for a few minutes each side, take off the heat and rest under some kitchen foil for 1 minute.

For the garlic butter, I crushed a couple of cloves of garlic and added that to 50g butter and 1 tbsp. chopped parsley. Using cling film, make into a sausage shape and chill until needed. Then you just cut a slice and pop it on top of the steak.

Serve the steak with the mash and steamed veg. Perfect!

Moroccan Lamb with Zaalouk, Apricots & Couscous

Last night we visited Morocco. Like Mr Ben of the old days, we travelled swiftly to the bright lights of Marrakesh (in the culinary mind at least) and ate a delicious dish of Moroccan delights, all layered onto a plate and eaten at home in London. We could almost hear the sounds of the street vendors and snake charmers.

We have actually been to Marrakesh, years ago, and I had a few ideas from the flavours we tried there. I wanted to create a new recipe so I made a few elements to make into one dish. The lamb marinated in Moroccan Spices, the green bell peppers marinated separately, some zaalouk (which is like a Moroccan ratatouille).... a few apricots, some goats cheese... layered into one dish that bursts with fresh flavours. It is one of those creations you enjoy making because you just know how good it will taste. And having now enjoyed it - I am certainly putting down this one as a dinner for guests. The flavours are really set to impress. This recipe serves two.

For the zaalouk:

1 aubergine (eggplant), chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1/3 cup water

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the aubergine is soft. With the back of a spoon, press on the aubergine to crush half it and make a thick stew. Keep warm.

For the green peppers:

2 green peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp. olive oil
 
Put the peppers in a hot oven for 15 minutes, or hold over a flame to blacken the skin and cook the pepper. Put both into a plastic bag so the steam loosens the skin. When cool, peel the peppers and pull apart into about 4 pieces with your hands. Put into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and leave to marinade for about an hour in the fridge.


For the lamb:           

280g lamb fillet strips
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil

Put all of the above in a bowl and marinate in the fridge for one hour. When ready to cook, put onto a couple of skewers and grill (broil) on a high heat. You want them to blacken a bit but remain a little pink inside.

To assemble:

Put about 1 cup couscous in a bowl with a vegetable stock cube, add water to come about an inch and a half over the couscous. Cover with cling film and leave to steam for about 5 minutes.  Chop 1/2 red onion finely and add to the couscous along with some chopped coriander. Slice some apricots (you can use dried that have been soaked in hot water and quartered) and set them aside.

Put the grill onto high and grill the lamb.

To plate up, firstly put the couscous onto a large plate and spread around the base of the plate. Put spoonfuls of the zaalouk around and then add some of the green peppers. Then sprinkle over the apricots and top with the lamb kebabs. Then top with a little creamy goats cheese and add a wedge of lemon to the plate.

And there you have it. Delicious layered Moroccan Lamb with Couscous. Bursting with flavour!

 

 

Hazelnut Meringues with Banana & Praline Cream

I suppose this is like an individual banana pavlova really. I don't think there are enough regular desserts you see with the humble banana. I know banoffee pie is pretty popular but I adore bananas, so I wanted to create a new dessert with all my favourite flavours so this is what I made.

Also having just used egg yolks in the Portuguese custard tarts the other day, I had three egg whites needing a home.

Hazelnut Meringues - crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, layered with sliced banana and whipped cream mixed with a hazelnut praline. It was truly delicious.. trust me!

For the hazelnut meringues:

3 egg whites

175g (6oz) caster sugar

1 tsp. cornflour

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

50g (2oz) hazelnuts, chopped

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add the sugar slowly, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is shiny and the sugar all incorporated. Stir in the cornflour and vinegar followed by the chopped hazelnuts.

 

Set the oven to about 120 C. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper (make it stick to the sheet with a sprinkle of water). Put heaped dessertspoons of the meringue onto the sheet, giving a little room to grow. Pop in the oven for about one and a half hours. You will know they are ready when they pull easily away from the greaseproof paper. Leave to cool.

 

For the praline cream:

 

50g caster sugar

50g hazelnuts (whole)

150ml double cream

 

Put the sugar in a heavy based pan and melt. Add the hazelnuts and toss in the melted sugar for about 2 minutes, until the mix is a warm caramel colour. Carefully (its hot) pour onto some greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Put in the fridge for 10 minutes to go nice a hard. Then pop the mix into a hand mixer or food processer and blitz until a fine powder.

 

Whip the cream until soft peaks form and stir through most of the praline. Layer the meringues with bananas, praline cream and sprinkle with the remaining praline and some grated chocolate. Serve and thoroughly enjoy!!

 

 

Note: In an lidded tub, the meringues will keep for at least a week.

Pulled Pork in BBQ Mustard Sauce with Succotash

This dish originates from the United States where a whole hog would be roasted over fire for hours until the juicy pork was so tender it could be pulled apart in soft strips. It can also be cooked in the oven, but yesterday I put it in the slow cooker all day, so when mealtime came, I just needed to make a sauce to mix it with. I chose a mustard bbq sauce for a change to my usual bbq sauce.

I served this with succotash, which is a colourful corn and bean mix which was originally cooked by the Native Americans of the North-eastern woodlands.

Ingredients:

1.2kg piece of pork shoulder, skin and outer fat removed
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)

Method:

Rub the seasoning into the pork and put in the slow cooker with about 150ml water. Add the liquid smoke if you have it. Leave to cook on low for 8 hours. Alternatively, put in a roasting tray with 200ml water, covered with foil for 4 hours and topping up the water as needed. When cooked - use two forks to shred the meat and leave to one side while you make the dressing.

For the Mustard BBQ Sauce:

120ml/1/2 cup yellow American mustard
60ml/1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. brown sugar (I used light muscovado)
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
juice of half a lemon.

Put all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Stir and leave to cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put into a large bowl and add the pork. Combine.

For the succotash:

1 tbsp. oil (plus a little to finish)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp./ fresh thyme (dried 1/2 tsp.)
200g sweetcorn (fresh is better but I used tinned)
300g black eyes beans
1 large tomato, chopped fine
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced
parmesan, to finish

Fry the onion, garlic and pepper in a sauté pan for 5-6 minutes until softening. Add the thyme, drained sweetcorn and drained beans. Stir well. Cook on low for another 5-10 minutes. Add the tomato, basil and vinegar and stir through. Put into a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add shaved parmesan to finish.

Serve with cornbread, chilli dips, sour cream and some tortillas if liked.