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Posts Tagged ‘Easy’

Smoked Mackerel Loaded Leaves

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Party Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 27 January 2019| Leave a Comment »

Smoked Mackerel Loaded Leaves

This is the kind of nibble we like before dinner. Really tasty but light so it won’t spoil your appetite. Radicchio and/or chicory leaves are preferable but if you can’t find these you can substitute Little Gem lettuce – as we did.

Wine Suggestion: Your choice of bubbles, whether it’s Prosecco, Cremant, Cava or Champagne

Smoked Mackerel Loaded Leaves – serves 4-8

  • 200g smoked mackerel fillets, skin removed and flaked
  • 4 tbsp crème fraîche
  • juice and zest of ½ lemon
  • small bunch of chives, snipped
  • small handful of dill, chopped
  • 1 small radicchio, separated into leaves
  • 1-2 chicory heads separated into leaves

Gently mix the mackerel with the crème fraîche, lemon juice, half the herbs and some pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Spoon generous amounts of the mackerel mixture into each leaf and arrange on a plates or a platter. Sprinkle over the remaining herbs and the lemon zest.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Northern Irish Wheaten Bread

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 3 January 2019| Leave a Comment »

Wheaten bread

A Northern Irish classic, wheaten bread is also the classic plain soda bread from further south in Ireland. As Jules grew up near Belfast and went to the same school as Trish Deseine (who knew?), our inspiration for this recipe, we call it “Wheaten”. Whatever you call it, this is an Irish classic and intrinsic to Irish food culture. So simple to make, tasty and versatile, this should be part of any cooks repertoire. We like it with a bowl of soup for lunch and toasted for breakfast the day after.

Northern Irish Wheaten Bread – makes 1 loaf

  • 250g plain flour
  • 250g wholemeal flour
  • 1 barely round tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 450-475ml buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 225C.

Mix the flours in a large, wide bowl, add the salt and sieved baking soda. Run the mixture through your fingers to distribute everything evenly.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Stir the mixture in circles with outstretched fingers starting from the centre of the bowl and working outwards. It shouldn’t take long for the dough to almost come together. Give it a very quick knead in the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Sprinkle a little flour on your hands and gently tidy the dough into a round and transfer to an oven tray. Tuck the edges underneath with your hands, then gently pat with your fingers into a loaf about 4cm thick.

Cut a deep cross into the bread and prick the centre of the four sections with a fork.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 200C for a further 15minutes. Turn the bread upside down and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until done – you can tell as it will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

(Original recipe from Trish Deseine’s ‘Home: Recipes from Ireland, Hatchette Livre, 2015.)

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Penne Baked with Three Cheeses

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 January 2019| 3 Comments »

Penne baked with three cheeses

There is a never-ending supply of leftover cheese in our fridge but never more so than at this time of year. This is a super-easy pasta dish which will help to use up the cheeseboard leftovers.

Penne baked with three cheeses – serves 2

  • 200g penne
  • 25g butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 350ml milk
  • 75g hard cheese e.g. cheddar/gruyère, grated
  • 50g blue cheese e.g. stilton/gorgonzola/roquefort, crumbled
  • a handful of breadcrumbs (we used panko)
  • 1 tbsp grated Parmesan

Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.

Cook the pasta until al dente then rinse under cold water to stop it cooking any further and drain.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, stirring continuously, to make a white sauce. When the sauce has thickened and is starting to bubble, add the hard and blue cheese and stir until melted. Season to taste, then mix with the cooked pasta and pour into an ovenproof dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan together and sprinkle over the top, then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

(Original Recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2009.)

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Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Posted in Gluten-free, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 30 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Chickpea and spinach curry

We don’t know about you lot but our bellies are crying out for a rest and we haven’t even got to New Year’s yet. This is a lightweight curry suitable for veggies and vegans (if you don’t serve with yoghurt) and it’s also substantial enough to serve as it is without any rice. The spices are very gentle as confirmed by our 5 year old who has developed a recent aversion to anything ‘too spicy!!’.

Chickpea & spinach curry – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 6cm piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 long green chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 150g baby spinach
  • 4 tbsp natural yoghurt (optional to serve)
  • Sprigs of coriander (to serve)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to brown, add a splash of water if they stick.

Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spices and salt and stir for a minute, then add the tomato purée and cook for another minute.

Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and chickpeas, then bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

When ready to serve, stir through the spinach and cook briefly until just wilted.

Divide between bowls (on top of some steamed rice if you like) and top with a spoon of yoghurt and some coriander.

(Original recipe from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge, Absolute Press, 2017.)

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Thai Fried Rice – Khao Pad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Prawns, tagged , , , , , , , , on 17 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Thai Fried Rice - Khao Pad

We have an Australian cookbook called Thai Cooking that was originally published in 1994. Jono remembers it from home in Melbourne and we know other members of his family who also have a well-used copy. After much searching we managed to pick up a second-hand copy in Books for Cooks in Fitzroy. It’s full of reliable dishes like this simple Thai fried rice. You could have it as a side dish but we prefer to eat a big bowl by itself with some sriracha hot chilli sauce (our own addition!).

Thai Fried Rice – Khao Pad – serves 4

  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 3 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 500g cooked peeled prawns, beef, pork, chicken or ham (any combination)
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 880g cooked rice, cooked the day before and chilled
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 pepper, sliced
  • 50g green beans, finely sliced
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped scallions
  • coriander leaves (to garnish)
  • sriracha hot chilli sauce, to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a medium heat. Stir-fry the onions and garlic until the garlic is golden. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then stir in the curry paste. Stir in the prawns and meat pieces and push to one side.

Add the beaten eggs. Wait to let them set a little, then slightly scramble.

Add the rice. Stir-fry until heated through. Sprinkle with fish sauce, then add the pepper, green beans, tomato and spring onions. Stir-fry briefly to heat through but don’t overcook.

Taste and add some extra fish sauce or sugar if needed. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and a drizzle of sriracha hot chilli sauce if that’s your thing.

(Original recipe from Thai Cooking Class by Sami Anuntra Miller & Patricia Lake, Bay Books, 1994.)

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Roasted Cod with Wild Thyme & Pul Biber

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 12 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Roasted Cod with Wild Thyme & Pul Biber

Thick pieces of cod look so pretty when scattered with dried herbs and chilli flakes. Also an opportunity to use our new fish bone tweezers – interesting what excites us as we get older! This is a simple but very tasty idea from Sabrina Ghayour’s book ‘Feasts’.

We served this with some rice, greens and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Wine Suggestion: this dish begs for a Greek Assyrtiko from the island of Santorini. A white that should always have a savoury profile, stony minerality and citrus freshness and a complimentary nature with the thyme and Aleppo pepper. If you’re fortunate to find one with “Nykteri” mentioned on it then this should be just as fresh as it is picked at night, and yet with a few months in oak fuller and deeper in flavour.

Roasted Cod Loins with Wild Thyme & Pul Biber – serves 4

  • 4 cod loins (about 200g each)
  • garlic oil
  • 4 tsp dried wild thyme
  • 2 tsp pul biber chilli flakes (Aleppo pepper)
  • finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Put the fish fillets onto the paper and coat each piece generously with garlic oil. Sprinkle over the wild thyme, pul biber, lemon zest and plenty of sea salt flakes and black pepper.

Roast for 8-12 minutes depending on how thick your fish is, or until cooked through. Serve immediately.

(Original recipe from Feasts by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2017.)

 

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Cheesy Jacket Potatoes with Sweetcorn & Roasted Peppers

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2018| 1 Comment »

Cheesy Jacket Potatoes with Sweetcorn & Roasted Peppers

Weeknight dinners in our house largely consist of dishes constructed from whatever happens to be lying in the fridge after the weekend. We rarely go shopping mid-week and consequently rarely waste food. This week we had some tinned El Navarrico Piquillo peppers which we had used in a paella. These are fabulous, but not cheap, and don’t keep for long once opened. We used them to stuff some jacket potatoes with a bit of cheddar cheese, the last of the chives in the garden and the dregs from a tin of sweetcorn leftover from sandwich filling for school lunchboxes. Serve with any salad leaves you have in the fridge drawer. Also a suitable filling for a quesadilla!

Wine Suggestion: a juicy Garnacha from Spain to match the mid-week casual dinner and the smoky Piquillo peppers

Cheesy jacket potatoes with sweetcorn and roasted peppers – serves 4

  • 4 x 200g floury potatoes – roosters work well
  • 175g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 100g sweetcorn, either defrosted if frozen of drained if from a tin
  • 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar or tin), diced
  • 1 tbsp snipped chives
  • lightly dressed green salad, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Pierce the potatoes a couple of times with a fork and rub all over with a little olive oil and salt. Bake for about 1 hour, until soft.

Taking care not to burn yourself, cut the potatoes in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the potato from the middle but don’t break the skins. Put the scooped out potato into a bowl.

Use a fork to mash the potatoes, then add 100g of the cheese with the sweetcorn and roasted pepper and mix well. Season to taste and stir in the chives.

Arrange the potato skins on a baking tray and scoop the potato mixture into them. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

Serve with some extra chives over the top and a green salad on the side.

(Original recipe from Nevan Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)

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Thai Beef Salad

Posted in Asian, Beef, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 5 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Thai beef saladMid-week celebrations can be a bit tricky, especially when work and life are busy. This was Jules’ choice for birthday dinner on a Tuesday in November and we would recommend it for a mid-week birthday at any time of year.

Wine Suggestion: We opened something a bit special given the occassion, the Tyler Dierberg Block 5 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara county in California. Despite the umami/savoury, hot/spicy, salty and sweet flavours of the salad this was an excellent match providing layers of excitement and flavour.

Thai Beef Salad – serves 4

  • 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 500g fillet steak

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 lemongrass stalk
  • 1 red chilli
  • 2 limes
  • 3 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 3 shallots
  • large handful of Thai basil
  • large handful of coriander
  • large handful of mint

TO SERVE:

  • 5 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
    • Roast the peanuts on a baking tray for 8-10 minutes at 190ºC until golden, then tip into a bowl to cool.
  • 3 tbsp fried shallots (see below)
    • Finely slice the shallots and fry in a wok or frying pan, in 5mm to 1cm of oil, over a medium heat, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto kitchen paper to cool and crisp up.

To make the dressing: peel and crush the garlic and peel and finely grate the ginger, reserving the juice. Remove the outer leaf of the lemongrass stalk and trim the ends, leaving the tender middle section; very finely chop this. Halve, deseed and finely dice the chilli. Squeeze the juice from the the limes to give 4 tbsp.

Put the lime juice, nam pla and sugar in a large bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the garlic, ginger and its juice, lemongrass and chilli and stir again.

For the salad: halve and very finely slice the shallots. Pick the herb leaves and leave whole.

Heat enough oil to cover the base of a heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, then remove and rest for 5 minutes.

Put the raw shallots and herbs into a large bowl. Finely slice the steak across the grain and add to the salad. Add half the dressing and toss to coat everything. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter with the peanuts and fried shallots. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook, Quadrille, 2014.)

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Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms & Spring Onions

Posted in Asian, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 4 December 2018| Leave a Comment »

Noodles with shiitake mushrooms & scallions

We can think of nothing nicer to eat than a bowl of slurpy noodles. Perfect for a speedy lunch or snack.

Wine Suggestion: a friend has suggested that there are brilliant saki matches for dishes like this that play with the umami but we’ve not tasted enough to suggest which one. However, we really liked a couple of wine options: a Lustau dry Oloroso, a Deux Montille Rully Blanc or a Tyler Pinot Noir from California. In each case they have a wonderful textural vibrancy that this dish needs.

Udon noodles with shiitake mushrooms and spring onions – serves 2

  • 125g dried egg noodles
  • 1½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1½ tbsp groundnut oil
  • 200g shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 6 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal
  • few coriander springs, leaves picked
  • 2½ tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
  • 2½ tbsp soy sauce

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt generously and cook the noodles for the time given on the pack. Drain and run under cold water, then stir through a few drops of sesame oil and groundnut oil to stop them from sticking.

Heat the oils over a high heat in a wok or frying pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until starting to soften. Add the scallions, nam pla, soy sauce and noodles. Heat stirring until the noodles are glazed with the sauce.

Serve sprinkled with the coriander.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook by Claire Macdonald and Jenny Stringer, Quadrille, 2013.)

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Cajun-Spiced Chicken

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , on 27 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Cajun-spiced chicken

These spicy drumsticks are really tasty and perfect when you’re relying on the freezer for dinner!

Wine Suggestion: For some reason we always think of rosé when cooking Cajun food. This time it was the Chateau St Jacques d’Albas, La Chapelle en Rosé and we were delighted to find our rosé of the year.

Cajun-spiced chicken – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • ½-1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks or a mixture of both

Make the marinade by mixing everything but the chicken together.

Rub the chicken pieces in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1 least an hour or up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

Spread the chicken pieces out on a roasting tray and cook at the top of the oven for 40-45 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

(Original recipe from Family Kitchen Cookbook by Caroline Bretherton, DK, 2013.)

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Fennel & Orange Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 26 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Fennel & orange salad

We had this as a side dish with pork but it would also work well as a fresh starter or with oily fish.

Fennel & Orange Salad – serves 4

  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 3 oranges
  • 25g hazelnuts
  • small bunch of mint leaves
  • small bunch of basil leaves
  • small bunch of oregano leaves (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp mustard

Trim the base and stalks off the fennel but keep any feathery fronds. Slice the fennel as thin as you can – we use a mandolin for this. Put the slices in a bowl of iced water until ready to serve.

Top and tail the oranges, then cut the skin and membrane off with a sharp knife. Reserve the peel and slice the oranges thinly, removing the seeds, then arrange over a large plate.

Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until they have coloured and smell good. Rub the skin off with a clean tea towel if needed, then crush lightly into large pieces.

Make the dressing by putting the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard into a large bowl. Squeeze any juice from the pieces of orange peel, then season well with salt and pepper and whisk together. Drain the fennel and add to the dressing. Mix well and pile on top of the orange slices. Sprinkle over the hazelnuts, herbs and fennel fronds.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers Mediterranean Adventure by Si KIng & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

 

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Spiced Lentil Soup

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spiced lentil soup

We have what you might call a well-stocked cupboard but the problem with bulging cupboards is that it’s easy to forget what’s in there. Every now and then we make a list and search for recipes to use things up which is how we came to make this soup – perfect for lunch on chilly days.

Spiced Lentil Soup – serves 4

  • a knob of ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • 150g red lentils
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • a squeeze of lime
  • coriander leaves, to serve

Heat a little oil in a large pan and fry the ginger, cumin seeds and chilli flakes for a couple of minutes.

Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, then add the lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender.

Blend until smooth or leave chunky, then stir through a squeeze of lime.

Serve with some fresh coriander leaves if you have them.

(Original recipe in Olive Magazine, November 2011.)

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Linguine with Tuna

Posted in Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , on 22 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Linguine with Tuna

Please buy fancy tins or jars of tuna in olive oil for this. We often go for Ortiz but recently we’ve been buying Shines Wild Irish Tuna – who knew we had such fabulous fish in Irish waters. Italians will complain about serving Parmesan with this but we can do what we like 🙂

Wine Suggestion: a textural white like Vermentino is our pick. From the Tuscan coast is the delightful Poggio ai Ginepri which is worth seeking out and shows great promise from a very youthful vineyard. Looking further afield you could go for a Vermentino, or Rolle as it is also known as, from France

Linguine with Tuna – serves 4

  • 400g linguine
  • 150-200g tin or jar of tuna in olive oil (drained weight)
  • 50g capers
  • 50g green pitted olives, sliced
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
  • pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

TO SERVE:

  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 1-2 tbsp grated Parmesan

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, put the tuna into a large bowl and break gently into flakes. Add the capers, olives, lemon zest, Parmesan, parsley and chilli flakes and stir slightly.

Reserve a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Add about 100ml of the cooking water and mix to combine.

Season with salt & pepper, then serve immediately, sprinkled with extra parsley and cheese.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

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Chicken with Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 20 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

 

Chicken with tomatoes, mozzarella & basilWe love easy ideas like this for adding extra interest to some chicken fillets mid-week. Serve with warm crusty bread and green salad.

Wine Suggestion: your choice of youthful, lighter Italian red; our choice tonight was the refined and under-rated Poggio ai Ginepri Bolgheri Rosso, but almost chose a Chianti. Both would be good.

Chicken breasts with tomatoes, mozzarella & basil – serves 4

  • 4 chicken skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
  • 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
  • 10 basil leaves, plus a few extra to garnish
  • 3 x 125 mozzarella balls, drained and sliced (don’t use buffalo mozzarella for this)

Slash each of the the chicken breasts four times with a sharp knife, cutting to the middle.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the garlic and chicken for 2 minutes on each side or until golden all over.

Tip in the cherry tomatoes with the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Cook, uncovered, over a medium heat for 12 minutes, turning the chicken breasts over halfway through.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill to its highest setting.

Take the pan off the heat and put the mozzarella slices on top of the chicken breasts. Grind over some black pepper and put the pan under the grill for a minute or until the cheese starts to melt.

Pour some sauce onto each plate, top with a piece of chicken and garnish with the extra basil.

(Original recipe from Pronto! by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2014.)

 

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Mallorcan Spiced Pork

Posted in Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , on 11 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Mallorcan Spiced Pork

This spiced roast pork by the Hairy Bikers is a really good value roast and feeds lots of people. We served with Tumbet (a Mediterranean vegetable bake) but it would also be great with any seasonal veg. If you have leftovers we recommend this easy pork chilli.

Wine Suggestion: Richer, oaked white wine to work with the richness of the pork. We opened a bit of a treat, the Tyler Santa Barbara County Chardonnay from California and it was beautiful.

Mallorcan Spiced Pork – serves 6 to 8

  • 2-2.5kg boned pork shoulder, rolled and skin scored (ask your butcher to do this)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 onions, thickly sliced

FOR THE RUB

  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • 4 cloves, ground
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • salt

FOR THE GRAVY

  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 100ml white wine or fino sherry

Preheat the oven to 230C/Fan 210C/Gas 8.

Mix all the ingredients for the rub together and season well with salt. Use your hands to cover the pork with the rub, pushing it into the scores. Wipe off any excess, then rub the pork with the tbsp of oil and pour over the lemon juice. Sprinkle the skin with salt.

Scatter the onion over the base of a roasting tin and put the pork on top. Add 250ml of water. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4 and continue to roast for 25 minutes per 500g.

Remove the pork from the oven and leave to rest, lightly covered with foil, for at least 15 minutes. Strain off the liquid from the roasting tin and wait for it to settle, then skim off the fat.

To make the gravy, sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over the roasting tin and stir well over a medium heat to scrape up any sticky bits from the tin. Add the wine or sherry and mix to form a paste. Add the skimmed pan juices and thin with some more water if you need (you can also do this in a pot).

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)

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Leftover Pork Chilli

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , on 11 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pork Chilli

We love cooking roasts on a Sunday and are often left with heaps of leftovers. This is an easy chilli which uses cooked pork – perfect for mid-week.

Wine Suggestion: We think that youthful, juicy and medium bodied reds are a good match here. For us it was a Joven Rioja made by Martinez Bujanda which is finely judged to celebrate the fruit without over-powering tannins. Chilled in the fridge for half an hour too.

Leftover Pork Chilli – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 1 yellow pepper, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml beef stock
  • 500g cold roast pork, in 2cm cubes

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan with a lid. Fry the vegetables over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add the spices and oregano and cook for a minute, then add the tomatoes and stock. Season.

Bring to the boil, then turn down to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the pork, cover, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with rice.

(Original recipe from Family Kitchen Cookbook by Caroline Bretherton, DK, 2013.)

 

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Spicy Thai Fishcakes with Dipping Sauce

Posted in Asian, Food, Gluten-free, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spicy Thai Fishcakes with Dipping Sauce

These take literally minutes to make and they make a super tasty starter or snack.

Wine Suggestion: our favourite wine with dishes like this is dry Riesling, with the limey, citrus flavours of wines from the Clare Valley, like those made by Pikes, coming to mind first. They are zesty and thrilling in flavour with the bracing acidity working perfectly with the citrus fruit to make a wine that is both thirst-quenching and hunger inducing at the same time. Aperitivo!

Spicy Thai fishcakes with dipping sauce – serves 2

  • 200g raw peeled prawns
  • 2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste
  • a small bunch of coriander, stalks separated
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp golden caster sugar
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped

Put the prawns, curry paste and coriander stalks into a food processor and whizz to a paste. Form 4 to 6 flat cakes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil, then fry the cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.

Mix the vinegar, sugar and chilli together in a small bowl.

Serve the cakes with the coriander leaves and sauce for dipping.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, October 2012.)

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Ginger Miso Sunshine Soup

Posted in Food, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 6 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Ginger & Miso Soup

Pumpkins are everywhere and the evenings have got dark and chilly. This delicious soup by Melissa Hemsley looks like sunshine and tastes warm and comforting. Don’t omit the topping as it really brings the soup to life.

Ginger miso sunshine soup – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
  • 2 large onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 5cm piece of ginger, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 4 large carrots, chopped into 1.5cm cubes
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 2cm cubes
  • 1.5 litres stock or bone broth or water – we used Marigold Bouillon powder
  • 2 tbsp miso
  • juice of 1 lemon

CHIVE TOPPING

  • 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp chives, chopped
  • 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Melt the oil in a large, wide saucepan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for another minute.

Add the carrots & squash, followed by the stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and cook for 15-18 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl. Add the miso and lemon juice to another bowl and add a few tablespoons of the hot liquid from the soup and stir or whisk until you have a smooth paste.

Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the miso paste. Blend the soup until smooth and season to taste. Serve with the chive topping.

(Original recipe from Eat Happy by Melissa Hemsley, Ebury Press, 2018.)

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Yoghurt with Walnuts and Coriander – Akhrote ka raita

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 3 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Akhrote ka raita

We’re sad to say that we’ve finally used up the enormous stash of walnuts we couldn’t resist at a French market. When we got home we thought we’d never get through them. This dish was a fitting end for the last few handfuls and we need to plan another trip. Try this raita with Indian dishes as a refreshing change from the usual cucumber raita.

Yoghurt with walnuts & coriander (Akhrote ka raita) – serves 6

  • 600ml plain yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
  • ½ a fresh hot green chilli, very finely chopped
  • 1 scallion, very finely sliced
  • 65g shelled walnuts, roughly broken into small pieces

Put the yoghurt into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy.

Add the rest of the ingredients plus a good grinding of black pepper and about ½ tsp of salt. Stir to mix.

(Original recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, Barron’s Educational Series, 2002.)

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Cucumber & Lamb’s Lettuce Salad

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 30 October 2018| 4 Comments »

Cucumber & lamb's lettuce salad

We’ve been eyeing up lots of recipes in Ottolenghi Simple and so far have only made a green salad. As green salads go however it was  pretty good with a great fresh flavour from the herbs and cucumber and an unusual dressing. We served this with some spiced baked salmon but it would be great with loads of dishes.

Cucumber & lamb’s lettuce salad – serves 4

  • 5 baby cucumbers (or 1½ regular cucumbers with the seeds removed)
  • 30g lamb’s lettuce
  • 10g picked mint leaves
  • 10g picked coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 2cm piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 20g plain yoghurt
  • third tsp flaked sea salt

Make the salad dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Cut the cucumbers into quarters, lengthways. Cut each quarter diagonally into ½ cm slices and put into a large bowl with the lettuce, mint and coriander. Gently mix in the dressing and spread into over a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with the nigella seeds and serve.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2018.)

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