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Archive for January, 2014

Lamb Cutlets with Mint, Chilli & Golden Potatoes

Posted in Food, Lamb, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on 22 January 2014| 2 Comments »

This dish looks really good and is really very little effort. Perfect for last minute entertaining.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve successfully drunk fresh whites like Pecorino from Italy and crisp Sauvignon Chardonnay blends from Cheverny, Loire as well as  Chianti, Rioja and cool-climate Syrah/Shiraz from Australia and the have all gone very well. This is a sociable dish so think of a sociable wine and it seems to work a treat!

Lamb cutlets with mint, chilli & golden potatoes – serves 4

  • 500g baby new potatoes, halved
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp dried mint
  • ½ tsp celery (or ordinary) salt
  • 8 lamb cutlets
  • 100g rocket
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Put the potatoes on to steam.

Mix the olive oil, chilli flakes and celery salt in a large tray. Add the lamb chops and turn to coat well in the oil. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan and fry the chops over a medium heat for 5 minutes (you won’t need any extra oil). Turn the cutlets over and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side (or longer if you prefer).

Meanwhile, drain the steamed potatoes once they are tender and leave to dry in the pot.

Use the rocket to line a platter. When the chops are cooked remove them from the pan and arrange on top of the rocket.

Add the potatoes to the pan and fry for 3 minutes on each side or until hot and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the platter. Sprinkle the dish with the sea salt and fresh herbs to serve.

(Original recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Nigellissima, Chatto & Windus, 2012.)

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Banana Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Smokey Bacon

Posted in Brunch, Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on 20 January 2014| 2 Comments »

We made this for a Saturday breakfast and really enjoyed the playful balance of flavours. The pancakes are light, fluffy and not too sweet.

Banana pancakes with maple syrup and smokey bacon – serves 4

  • 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon (or pancetta strips)
  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar
  • 2 ripe bananas, 1 mashed, 1 thinly sliced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 25g butter, melted, plus a little extra
  • 125ml milk
  • maple syrup

Cook the bacon or pancetta under a hot grill, on a tray lined with foil, until crispy and keep warm.

Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the mashed banana, eggs, butter and milk. Whisk until you have a smooth batter without any floury lumps.

Heat a little butter in a large frying pan until sizzling. Ladle in small dollops of batter and put a few slices of banana on the surface of each pancake. Cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat and turn when bubbles appear on the surface of the batter. Cook for 1 more minute on the other side or until puffed up and golden brown. Keep warm while you use the rest of the batter. Serve the pancakes topped with the crispy bacon and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Marscarpone, Mushroom & Marsala Fettucini

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 17 January 2014| 8 Comments »

Marscapone & Marsala Fettucini

A rich and indulgent pasta dish and quite a hefty portion but as Nigella points out there is little point in leaving 50g of fettuccine in the box for another time!

Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala & Mascarpone – serves 2

  • 15g dried porcini
  • 60ml Marsala
  • 125g mascarpone
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley plus more to serve
  • 250g  fettuccine (or tagliatelle)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • small clove of garlic, crushed
  • 4 tbsp grated Parmesan

Measure the porcini into a very small saucepan, cover with the Marsala and 60ml water, put on the heat and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Put the mascarpone into a bowl with a good grating of fresh nutmeg and ground pepper. When the porcini have finished soaking, strain the liquid into the bowl and fork together to combine.

Squeeze the porcini out over the bowl, then chop on a board along with the parsley.

Cook the fettuccine in a large pan of boiling salted water.

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the garlic, stirring over the heat for a minute, then add the porcini and parsley mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone and stir until the sauce bubbles, then turn the heat off.

Reserve a small cup of the pasta cooking water before draining and tipping the pasta into the sauce. Add a little pasta water to loosen as it will thicken on standing.

Add the Parmesan and check the seasoning before serving with some extra parsley.

(Original recipe from Nigella Lawson’s Nigellissima, Chatto & Windus, 2012).

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Lamb & Dauphinoise Hotpot

Posted in Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , on 13 January 2014| 1 Comment »

Lamb Dauphinoise Hotpot

Winter comfort food; the sweet potato topping is nice for a change and works well adding a layer of earthiness that suits the season. You will need to start this the night before but its very easy so don’t be daunted.

Wine Suggestion: We think southern Rhône reds rule here, especially a grenache dominant blend with a little bit of age where the heady spices become more velvety but you’ve retained enough tannins to work with the proteins in the lamb. The sweet spices and juicy fruit complement the sweet potato whereas a drier wine would fight with these flavours, so be careful of more traditional lamb matches like Bordeaux blends and Rioja / Tempranillo.

Lamb & Dauphinoise Hotpot – serves 8

  • 3 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion roughly, chopped
  • 1 bulb of garlic, split in 2
  • few sprigs of rosemary
  • few sprigs of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2.5kg shoulder of lamb on the bone
  • 1 bottle red wine

For the topping: 

  • 4-5 potatoes
  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 150ml double cream
  • few knobs of butter

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Use a flameproof casserole big enough to fit the lamb. Put in all the vegetables and herbs and stir in the tomato purée. Put the lamb on top, pour over the wine and season well. Cover and heat on top of the stove, then transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours. Remove the lamb from the oven, leave to cool, then chill overnight.

The next day, remove all the hard fat from around then lamb. Lift the lamb out of the dish, scraping off and keeping the jellied juice.  Shred the lamb and throw away any large bits of fat and the bones. Put the lamb back in the dish, spoon over the jellied sauce and mix with the veg.

Heat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.

Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds. Put them into a pan of cold salted water, bring to a hard boil then drain immediately. Put the potatoes back into the empty pan, pour over the cream and season well.

Arrange the potatoes on top of the lamb and drizzle the cream left in the pan over the top and dot with butter. Bake for between 40 minutes and an hour or until the top is nicely coloured and the sauce is bubbling.

Serve with some green veg.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Carbonara Cabbage

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 7 January 2014| 3 Comments »

This is delicious but very rich, plus a little goes a long way! We found this a really good twist on a classic.

Carbonara Cabbage – serves 8

  • 1kg Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
  • 12 rashers streaky bacon, chopped small
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 250ml single cream
  • 50g Parmesan, grated

Cook the cabbage for 10 minutes in a large pan of boiling salted water. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large frying pan for 7-8 minutes or until crispy, adding the garlic for the final few minutes.

Mix the cream and Parmesan in a bowl with some black pepper. Add the cream mixture and the cabbage to the bacon pan and toss everything together really well. Warm through for a few minutes before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 3 January 2014| Leave a Comment »

This was good served alongside a beef hotpot, but we daresay it’ll be nice against a few other dishes as well.

Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash – to serve 4

  • 500g carrots, chopped
  • 500g sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
  • 25g butter

Put the carrots, sweet potatoes and garlic in a large pan  salted water, bring to the boil and cook for about 12 minutes or until very tender, then drain. Add the cumin seeds, butter and seasoning and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Buttered Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , on 2 January 2014| 1 Comment »

For those who eat brussels sprouts more than once a year. This is a gem of a dish that we’ve done a few times now and an easy feature in any winter meal.

Buttered Sprouts with Pancetta – to serve 6

  • 100g cubed pancetta
  • 750g brussels sprouts
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 25g butter

Fry the pancetta in a non-stick frying pan for about 5 minutes or until crispy. Add the sprouts and cook for another minute. Add the stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sprouts are tender and the stock has reduced. Add the butter and season well but be careful with the salt, as the pancetta and stock should make this fairly salty already.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Pumpkin & Sage Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 January 2014| 1 Comment »

Sage brings an unexpected element to this soup that really works. Super warming and homely.

Pumpkin and sage soup – to serve 8

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped sage
  • 1.4kg of pumpkin or squash flesh
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • 1.5 litres vegetable stock

Melt the oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onions and sage and cook gently for about 15 minutes or until really soft. Add the squash and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the honey and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is soft.

Cook before processing until smooth. Season and add a bit more stock if its too thick. Reheat to serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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