Fresh Salmon & Leek Tart

Sunny summer days just call for a tart like this. Freshly poached salmon, flaked into a crisp pastry case with buttery leeks and fragrant dill.

Served with some brown bread and butter and an ice cold juice drink, its a lovely lunch for a Saturday in the garden.

Ingredients;

2 salmon fillets
pack readymade shortcrust pastry
1 large leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
handful grated cheese (gruyere or cheddar)
3 eggs
140ml double cream
50ml milk
sprig fresh dill chopped
salt & pepper
milk for brushing

Method:

Bring a pot of water to the boil and poach the salmon for about 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to poach for another 5 minutes in the hot water. Drain and flake into large pieces.

Lightly butter a 9 inch shallow loose bottomed tart tin, and line with the pastry. Pop case in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Put the oven on to 180 C. Lightly fry the leek for 5 minutes and then add the garlic for a further few minutes. Leave to cool a little. In a jug, whisk the eggs with the milk, cream and a little salt & pepper.

Put the tart tin onto a baking sheet and sprinkle a small handful of grated cheese over the base. Top with the cooled leeks and garlic. and then the salmon. Spread around evenly and then pour over the egg/milk mix. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk.

Put into the oven for approx. 30 minutes until the centre is firm and the pastry golden. Leave to cool and serve with some buttered brown bread or fries and a salad.

Club Sandwich Salad

Its been a bit quiet here the last few days as we have been on holiday relaxing. But back home now, with a lovely long sunny day off stretching out in front of us, so am looking forward to some good food.

I love club sandwiches - and that was my plan. Chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato with lashings of mayonnaise in between slices of toasted bread. However, The Bloke wanted a salad. Easy enough. Club Sandwich Salad it is. Same ingredients, made into a large salad with loads of flavour.

In this recipe I have quoted streaky bacon, but I used speck which is a sort of prosciutto. It can be quite difficult to buy in some places, but I buy it regularly in Borough Market in London. Streaky bacon works just as well, so have whichever you like.

Ingredients:            (serves 2)

1/4 ciabatta loaf, cubed
a little oil
2 chicken breasts, skin removed
8 rashers streaky bacon or speck
2/3 little gem lettuces, sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
pinch sugar

Method:

Set the oven to 180 C. Toss the bread cubes in a little oil and season with salt & pepper. Pop in the hot oven for about 5 minutes, until the croutons are crisp. Set to one side.

Put the chicken breasts in between two pieces of cling film. Hit the fattest part firmly with a rolling pin or similar, until the chicken is flattened and of the same thickness. Remove the cling film and put the chicken onto a plate. Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. In a pan, fry the chicken both sides for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Cover in foil and leave to rest.

Grill the streaky bacon or speck, dabbing the fat off as you grill, to make crispy strips. Make the dressing by whisking together ingredients listed above.

To assemble. In a large bowl toss the lettuce, onion and cherry tomatoes. Break the bacon into pieces and add to the salad, along with the croutons. Add the dressing and mix well. Slice the chicken into strips and place on the top of the salad and serve! Lovely.

 

 

Note: I used speck instead of bacon as I am a big fan losing as much fat as I can from a meal. Speck grills quickly and crisps up beautifully with less fat (see below).

Quick Mandarin Cheesecake

This is one of those desserts that you can make in literally 10 minutes. Its also good because it was totally unplanned, yet the ingredients are often found in the fridge! This is a non baked cheesecake and is made as individual servings which make it look cute and like it has taken a lot longer to prepare than it did!!

You can use any biscuits you have as the base. I used digestives as I had some but other types work just as well. You can also use any fruit.

If you don't have any chefs rings I recommend you have a couple in a cupboard somewhere - they can be so useful in many, many ways. Here they were a godsend. Quick, no fuss mandarin cheesecakes.

Ingredients:    (makes 2)

50g biscuits, crushed
40g butter, melted
200g soft cheese (Philadelphia)
50ml double cream
3 tbsp. icing sugar
295g tin mandarin segments

Method:

Sit the chefs rings onto a board (that will fit in the fridge) covered with greaseproof paper. Stir the melted butter into the crushed biscuits in a bowl and use to cover the base inside the rings. Pop in the fridge for 2 minutes to set.

Drain the mandarin segments and remove 6 pieces, set to one side for garnish. Chop the rest and gently press some kitchen roll on top to remove excess juice.

In a bowl mix the cream cheese, sugar and cream until smooth. Stir in the chopped mandarins and put on top of the biscuit bases. Level with a knife and decorate with the mandarin slices. Pop in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes.

Lift the cheesecake rings onto a serving plate using a fish slice or palette knife. Then, run a sharp knife around the edges of the cheesecake and lift off the metal ring. Serve dusted with a little icing sugar and enjoy!!

Country Chicken Pie

After having a bbq at the weekend, full of marinated spicy chicken and Thai pork burgers, come Monday night we were craving comfort food. After a busy day, I picked up some chicken breasts on the way home from meetings and pondered on what to make.

As far as I am aware, Shepherds Pie is lamb mince with mashed potatoes. And Cottage Pie is with beef. I realised that I had never had one in that style make with chicken. I think its because you rarely see minced chicken that these thoughts don't occur - its a bit like my Spaghetti Chickenase (recipe here) - so why not? So here is my version which I have called Country Chicken Pie.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 medium) chicken breasts, chopped finely
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chicken stock cube
3 tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken stock (about
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
100g frozen peas
salt & pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
3-4 white potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
knob of butter


Method:

Boil the potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with a knob of butter and season with salt & pepper. Set to one side.

In a large pan, fry the onion until translucent and then add the garlic. Cook for another few minutes and add the chicken. Cook on a high heat, stirring, until cooked through. Turn down the heat to medium and crumble in the stock cube and the flour, stirring to incorporate. Then add the stock a cup at a time to get a thick sauce consistency. Add the peas, herbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and some salt & pepper and let cook on a low heat for five minutes. Pour into a pie dish and top with the mashed potatoes.

Cook in the oven (180 C) for 30 minutes, or until bubbling and the top is nicely browning. Serve with vegetables.  Delicious!

Baguette Pizza

I have never been one to buy pizza. Maybe its just me but if I wanted pizza I just made cheese on toast with some toppings. Its cheaper, tastes just as good and its somehow more honest. These days I like using these part baked baguettes that seem to be everywhere in the shops. Lazy Saturday afternoons usually call for these baguette pizzas and its one that The Bloke likes to make for me.

The secret is his way of mixing everything in a bowl after having chopped it finely. Then he piles it on halved baguettes and pops them in the oven for 10 minutes. I adore them!

Ingredients:

2 part baked baguettes, halved
100g grated cheese (gruyere is good)
1/3 cup tomato and chilli sauce (we use blitzed chipotle in adobe - recipe here)
50g ham, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped finely
10g basil leaves, torn
2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
pinch black pepper

Method:

Set the oven to 220 C. Spread the tomato/chilli sauce onto the halved baguettes. In a bowl mix half of the cheese (50g) with the remaining ingredients so it is well combined.

Share the mixture out on top of the halves baguettes and top with the remaining cheese and place onto a baking sheet.

Now pop in the oven for 10 minutes until hot and bubbling. Perfect pizza baguettes!

Chinese Sui Mai Cabbage Rolls

I nearly didn't make these last night. I didn't feel like cooking and although had planned what to make with pack of pork mince, I felt (wrongly as it turned out) that they would take too long to make. They took just over 10 mins to put together and in the 20 mins cooking time, I made the rice and the dip. And the garnish. Excellent!

It was a lonely pack of pork mince that was sitting in a relatively empty fridge yesterday morning, that brought me to this. Initially they were going to be Polish cabbage rolls, but I fancied Chinese flavours, so I grabbed some frozen prawns and instead filled them with a sui mai filling. Now, sui mai is normally a Chinese dim sum dumpling, which has the same filling as this recipe - but would normally be wrapped in a wonton wrapper. These are wrapped in cabbage leaves and I love them!

Ingredients:    (Makes 8 rolls)

500g pork mince
140g small cooked prawns (or shrimp)
1 tbsp. finely chopped ginger
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
salt & pepper
8 leaves savoy cabbage, ends of thick stem cut away in a 'v' shape

Method:

Boil the kettle and fill a large pot with the cabbage leaves. Bring up to boil on a medium heat for about 4 minutes and then remove from the water with a slotted spoon.

In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Lay a cabbage leaf on a board with the stalk end nearest to you. Put about 3 tbsp. of the mix onto the end of the leaf and roll once. Bring in the sides of the leaf and roll forward a second time. Do it quite tightly, but being careful not to break the leaf. Repeat with the other cabbage leaves.

Now you can use a steamer if you have one, or using a steamer tray (picture above), pop it in the large pot that you cooked the cabbage in. Use a little water (I used some of the water I cooked the cabbage leaves in) and pop the lid on. Steam for 20 minutes.

While the cabbage rolls are steaming, steam some rice, make a dipping sauce with sesame oil, sake, soy, garlic and Chinese rice vinegar and chop spring onion and red chilli for garnish.

Serve piping hot and enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice with Cheese (V)

This is a great way to cook cauliflower. Its great for people who are trying to cut carbohydrates from their diet and there are so many different flavours you can add to it. Simply par boil the cauliflower florets and crush with a fork. They don't go to a mash or a puree, but stay in pieces that gives it the texture and look of rice.

In this version I used the old fashioned cauliflower cheese and have just added cheese, shallots and garlic which is just delicious as a side dish. But as the vegetable stands up well by itself - you can add chicken, ham, spices.. let your imagination go wild. You could have it cold and dress with a vinaigrette, with maybe added bacon bits. Try it and you'll find yourself using this again and again.

Here I have hot cauliflower rice topped with crispy shallots with sausages and a tomato salad.

Ingredients:     (Serves 4)

1 head cauliflower   
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. soft cheese (like Philadelphia)
handful grated cheese (like gruyere or cheddar)
salt & pepper

Method:

Cut the stalks off the cauliflower so you are just left with the florets. Par boil for about 6-87minutes in boiling water and drain. Mash with a fork to make the cauliflower 'rice'.

In a separate large pan, fry the shallots until beginning to brown and then add the cauliflower and stir. Add the garlic powder, the cheeses and season with salt & pepper. Heat through to melt the cheese and you are ready to serve, Its that simple.

For the crispy shallots:

Peel and slice two shallots into rings. Put into a bowl and cover with a little milk to soak for 5 minutes. Drain off the milk and add a tbsp. flour and mix with your fingers. Heat about 1-2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy based pan and drop in the shallots. Cook until brown and crispy and drain on kitchen paper. These can be done hours ahead of the meal if liked. They don't need to be hot, but add a lovely texture to the dish.

I really want to try this as a salad next with crispy pancetta, thinly sliced cherry tomatoes and a vinaigrette! Delicious!

Banana & Oat Cookies

I woke up this morning and decided it was definitely a day for making cookies. Whilst having my morning cup of tea, I noticed three sad looking, just about to be over ripe bananas, sitting in the bowl. Banana cookies it had to be!

I have actually had this recipe for about twenty five years, and I think it was given to me by a friend. I tweaked it a bit at the time to make them a bit lighter, but they have stayed the same for years. This recipes makes about 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

180g butter, softened
200g packed brown sugar
100g caster sugar
3 bananas, mashed roughly
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cornflour
255g oats (I used Quakers)

Method:

Prepare a couple of baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set the oven to 170 C.

In a mixing bowl, incorporate both the sugars into the softened butter. Mix in the egg, vanilla and bananas.

Add the remaining ingredients, ending with the oats and mix well to make a dough.

Spoon a heaped dessert spoon of the dough onto the baking sheet and using the back of the spoon, press down lightly and shape into a thick 'ish circle (they spread a little, but not much). Repeat until mixture used up and pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes until you see the edges are a turning golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat one hot like I just did, if you really can't wait!

Happy Baking!

Crispy Peanut Tofu with Brocolli & Noodles (V)

I love tofu these days, which is odd because I didn't like it all those years that I was a vegetarian. Maybe I have just found new ways of cooking it...years ago it was kept somewhat basic and flavourless, but marinated it is delicious.

Also, I like to bake tofu - it is basically like a sponge and soaks up oil at an alarming rate which baking seems to prevent. Its also a good idea to press the water out of the tofu - best way is to drain it from the pack, wrap in layers of kitchen paper and place in between two chopping boards or plates. Put a weight on the top one (some saucepans will do) and leave for 15 minutes. This way they will lose the water and absorb the flavour better.

I've kept this recipe fairly simple as the marinade speaks for itself and just added some broccoli; you can add pak choy and mange tout if you like.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 Thai chilli (I used birds eye), chopped finely, seeds removed if liked

200g noodles
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp. sake (Chinese wine)
2 spring onions, for serving
chopped peanuts, for serving

Method:

In a bowl, mix the sesame oil, soy, sugar, peanut butter, garlic, chilli together. Whisk well until combined.

Chop the pressed and drained tofu into squares and put into the marinade. Stir well and leave to marinate for up to 2 hours. Remove from the marinade and reserve the marinade for later. Then put the oven on 170 C and place the tofu on a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set to one side.

Cook the noodles as per pack instructions (usually 4-5 minutes), drain and set to one side.

In a wok or large pan, fry the onion in a little oil until beginning to brown. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli and stir fry for about 3 minutes on a high heat. Add the sake and pop on a lid to let the broccoli steam for 5 minutes. Then add the noodles and tofu. Add a little water to the reserved marinade to loosen and add to the dish for a light sauce. Garnish with the sliced spring onions, chopped peanuts (if liked) and serve.

 

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!