Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Side’

Tumbet – Mediterranean Vegetable Bake

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 September 2019| 2 Comments »

Tumbet

This Mallorcan vegetable dish is perfect for late summer when peppers, tomatoes, aubergines & courgettes are in abundance. It works really well alongside roast pork and other meat or fish but it has enough going on to work as a veggie main too. There are a few processes but ultimately this is an easy dish and you can prep it in advance and bake when you’re ready.

Wine Suggestion: given the Mediterranean origin, we’d suggest a wine match with Grenache / Garnacha, either on it’s own or with a typical southern French blend.

Tumbet – seres 4

  • 2 medium aubergines, cut into 1.5cm rounds
  • up to 200ml olive oil
  • 2 medium courgettes, cut into 2cm rounds
  • 500g large waxy potatoes e.g. Charlotte, thinly sliced (about 3mm) – use a mandolin if you have one
  • 2 roast red peppers, cut into strips (to roast yourself put the peppers on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil, then roast for 30 minutes at 220C/Fan 200/Gas 7. Leave in a covered bowl to cool, then peel off the skins.)
  • small bunch of fresh oregano
  • small bunch of fresh basil

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 400g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or you can use a tin)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • pinch of sugar (optional)

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

Spread the aubergine slices over a large baking tray and brush with some of the olive oil. Season with salt and roast for 20-25 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Leave to cool.

Pour ½ cm of oil into a large, heavy-based frying pan. Fry the courgettes over a medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side, then remove and drain on kitchen paper. Season lightly with salt.

Add the potato slices to the pan and fry on both sides for about 10 minutes or until softened the whole way through and a light golden colour. Drain on kitchen paper.

To make the sauce, put the olive oil in a sauce pan and cook the garlic over a low to medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until softened, then add the tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook gently for about 25 minutes or until well reduced. Taste after 10 minutes and add a pinch of sugar if it seems acidic.

Spread a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce in the base of a large baking dish. Sprinkle over some oregano and basil leaves, then top with the aubergine slices. Add more tomato sauce, sprinkle with more herbs, and add the courgettes. Repeat with more tomato sauce, herbs and the peppers, then finish with the last of the tomato sauce and herbs and top with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

When ready to bake the dish, heat the oven to 180C/160C/Gas 4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp and browned and the vegetables underneath are tender.

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

 

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Herb & Pak Choi Salad

Posted in Asian, Food, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 21 November 2018| Leave a Comment »

Herb & pak choi salad

We really liked this fresh and vibrant salad by Melissa Helmsley. It went really well with this Korean chicken but we also thought it would be nice with barbecued meat or fish with Asian flavours or Salmon Teriyaki.

Herb & Pak Choi Salad – serves 4 as a side

  • 4 large large heads of pak choi, shredded
  • 1 large Little Gem or Cos lettuces, finely shredded
  • a large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • a large handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
  • a large handful of fresh Thai basil, roughly chopped
  • 4 scallions, finely sliced

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • juice and grated zest of 1½ limes
  • 6 tbsp sesame oil (not toasted) or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp tamari (or you could use light soy sauce)

TOPPING:

  • a large handful of almonds, cashews or sesame seeds (or a mixture)

Make the topping first by toasting the nuts and/or seeds in a dry frying pan with a little salt over a medium heat until golden.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a large bowl and season to taste.

Put the pak choi, lettuce and herbs in a bowl and mix with the scallions. Add the dressing and toss until everything is coasted. Sprinkle over the toasted nuts and seeds to serve.

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

 

Read Full Post »

Patatas Bravas

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Spanish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 14 November 2018| 1 Comment »

Patatas Bravas

We love these crispy potato cubes with spicy sauce and this version roasts the potatoes in the oven rather than frying them in heaps of oil. Serve as a side dish or just on their own for a snack.

Wine Suggestion: We love a dry sherry with these, but can’t decide between whether we prefer Fino, Amontillado or Oloros – we recommend them all.

Patatas Bravas – serves 4

  • 800g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-4cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • ½ tsp sugar or honey
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tsp hot paprika, plus extra to serve

Put the potatoes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add plenty of salt, and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until starting to soften. Drain gently so they don’t break up too much.

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

Put 2 tbsp of olive oil in a roasting tin and heat in the oven. Add the drained potatoes, toss in the oil, and roast for 40-45 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic has started to soften but not coloured. Add the vinegar and sugar or honey and stir until dissolved. Stir in the sweet and hot paprikas.

Pour the sauce over the crispy potatoes and sprinkle with a little extra paprika and some finely chopped parsley.

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

Read Full Post »

Roasted butternut squash & red onion with tahini & za’atar

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 15 October 2018| Leave a Comment »

Roasted butternut squash & red onion with tahini & za'atar

A divine vegetable dish from Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi’s book ‘Jerusalem’ – still one of our absolute favourites. We served this on a platter as a light starter but it would also work really well as a vegetarian/vegan main or as a side with other dishes. There were happy diners at our table!

Wine Suggestion: this worked excellently with Massaya’s le Colombier from the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, a very Rhône blend with a touch of  Tempranillo which gives it hints of North African / Eastern spices.

Roasted butternut squash & red onion with tahini & za’atar – serves 4

  • 1 large butternut squash, cut into wedges (about 2cm x 6cm)
  • 2 red onions, cut into wedges
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 3½ tbsp light tahini paste
  • 1½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 30g pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat your oven to 240C/220C fan/Gas 9.

Put the squash and onion wedges into a large mixing bowl and toss with 3 tbsp of oil, 1 tsp of sea salt flakes and some black pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and starting to crisp and brown at the edges, leave to cool.

Make the sauce by putting the tahini into a small bowl with the lemon juice, 2 tbsp of water, the garlic & ¼ tsp of sea salt. Whisk until the sauce is “the consistency of honey”. You may need to add more water or tahini.

Pour the rest of the oil into a small frying pan and warm over a low-medium heat. Add the pine nuts with ½ tsp of sea salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and pour the nuts and oil into a bowl so that they stop cooking.

Spread the vegetables out on a serving platter and drizzle over the tahini. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and their oil, the za’atar and parsley.

(Original recipe from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2012.)

Read Full Post »

Olive-oil Braised Runner Beans with Tomatoes

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 September 2018| Leave a Comment »

Olive oil braised runner beans with tomatoesWe loved these slow-cooked runner beans by Anna Jones in the Guardian. A delicious late summer side or lunch dish. Anna serves with feta, crusty bread and salad. We served as a side with roast chicken which was also great.

Olive-oil Braised Runner Beans with Tomatoes – serves 4

  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 200g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 400g runner beans, destringed and sliced at an angle into 2 cm lengths
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • juice of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes, green beans, oregano and a good pinch of salt. The beans must be covered so if they are not add a little water.

Turn the heat to low and cook the beans for 45-60 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure they’re not dry and add more water as needed.

The beans are ready when soft and with no squeak, but not falling apart. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and season with black pepper. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon to taste.

Serve at room temperature.

(Original recipe by Anna Jones in The Guardian, Friday 27th August 2018.)

Read Full Post »

Fragrant Yellow Rice with Cashews and Peas

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 16 August 2018| Leave a Comment »

Fragrant yellow rice with cashews and peas

This fragrant rice is great with curries and it looks nice and bright on the plate.

Fragrant Yellow Rice with Cashew Nuts & Peas – serves 4 to 6

  • 100g cashew nuts, toasted
  • knob of butter
  • 1 small onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp mild curry powder or paste
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 350g basmati rice, well rinsed
  • 50g coconut cream
  • 75g frozen peas

Heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes or until softened. Stir in the curry powder or paste and turmeric and continue to cook for another minute.

Add the rice to the onions with a good pinch of salt, then pour in the coconut cream and freshly boiled water to cover the rice by about 2 cm, about 600ml. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then turn the heat to very low and simmer gently for another 8 minutes.

Remover the rice from the heat and tip in the peas and cashew nuts, then set aside to steam for another 4 minutes. Fluff up with a fork before serving.

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

Read Full Post »

Peas, Broad Beans & Chorizo with Mint

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 23 April 2018| Leave a Comment »

Broad Beans, Peas, Chorizo & Mint

If you are yet to be convinced of the merits of frozen broad beans then surely this will convert you. A dish sure to become a regular feature in our kitchen as we can think of loads of mains to pair it with. Slipping the skins off the beans is a bit of a fiddle but definitely worth it and not the worst kitchen job – that would be cleaning mussels or mushrooms.

Peas, broad beans & chorizo with mint – serves 4 to 6

  • 250g frozen peas
  • 250g frozen baby broad beans
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 150g chorizo sausage, cut into small chunks
  • a good squeeze of lemon juice
  • leaves from 5 sprigs of mint

Cook the peas and beans in separate pans of boiling salted water until tender, then drain and remove the skins from the broad beans.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chorizo until golden. Add the peas and beans and heat through. Season, add the lemon juice and mint, then serve.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)

Read Full Post »

Cheesy Kale Bake

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 25 February 2018| 2 Comments »

Cheesy Kale Bake

Kale is everywhere and not our choice to put in a smoothie, but absolutely delicious when smothered with cheese sauce.

Cheesy kale bake – serves 4

  • 400g curly kale, remove the stalks and thickly shred
  • 25g butter
  • 25g plain flour
  • 400ml milk
  • 250g Cheddar or Gruyère cheese (or a mixture), grated
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

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

Put a large pan of water onto a high heat, add a tsp of salt and bring to the boil. Tip in the kale and cook for a couple of minutes or until almost tender. When it has cooled a bit squeeze the leaves with your hands to remove excess water and spread out in an ovenproof dish (20 x 25cm).

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the flour and cook for a minute or until bubbling. Gradually add the milk, whisking or stirring all the time, then reduce the heat and cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat, add half the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the kale and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

Read Full Post »

Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils and Rocket with Honey-roasted Walnuts

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 February 2018| Leave a Comment »

Spiced Sweet Potato, Puy Lentils and Rocket with Honey-roasted Walnuts

We picked up an amazing salad book, called Community, on our last trip to Australia which really pushes salad to centre stage. The recipes can all be served as a main course or as a side and they portions are accordingly generous. This one is good but the predominant flavour is honey so if that’s not your thing then perhaps give it a miss. We thought it might be nice with some roast pork.

The honey-roasted walnuts are a nice snack on their own too, so don’t be afraid of making too many.

Wine Suggestion: We went a little left-field for this and opened a Colterenzio Lagrein, a spicy, earthy red from Alto Adige – Südtirol; choose something a little earthy with a little spice and good fruit.

Spiced sweet potato, puy lentils and rocket with honey-roasted walnuts – serves 4 to 6

  • 2 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 250g Puy lentils, rinsed
  • 1 x 250 ml cup of soft herbs e.g. mint, parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, dill or coriander – finely chopped
  • 2 x 250ml cups of  baby rocket leaves
  • 50g Parmesan, shaved

SWEET VINAIGRETTE:

  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

HONEY-ROASTED WALNUTS:

  • 2 tbsp honey
  • ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 x 250ml cups walnuts

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Combine the sweet potato, olive oil, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and allspice in a large bowl with some salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and turning golden.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then simmer the lentils for about 20 minutes or until tender but still with a little bite. Drain.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sweet vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Stir the vinaigrette through the lentils while they’re still warm.

To prepare the honey-roasted walnuts, combine the honey with the chilli flakes, turmeric, salt and just enough water to make a thick paste. Toss the walnuts in the paste and spread over a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes or until they are crunchy. They will still be a bit sticky. Watch very carefully after the first 10 minute as they can go from toasted to burnt in seconds.

Combine half the chopped herbs with the rocket, sweet potato and lentils and season well. Scatter over the walnuts, the remaining herbs and the Parmesan before serving.

(Original recipe from Community: Salad recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen by Hetty McKinnon, Pan Macmillan Australia, 2014.)

Read Full Post »

Beetroot & Dill with Crème Fraîche & Walnuts

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 16 February 2018| 3 Comments »

Beetroot & Dill with Crème Fraîche & Walnuts

This is a great winter salad that feeds a crowd and goes really well with lamb. You could also serve on it’s own or with some baked potatoes and leftovers make good lunchboxes. Roast the beetroots earlier in the day so you have very little to do to assemble at the end.

Wine Suggestion: An earthy, lighter bodied red works here and a good Beaujolais, Burgundy/Pinot Noir or Northern Rhône Syrah would be a nice choice. We opened a Loire red made from Cabernet Franc, a Chinon, as we were also barbecuing some lamb to accompany it.

Beetroot & dill with crème fraîche and walnuts – serves 4 to 6

  • 12 beetroots (about 1.5kg), peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 3 scallions, finely sliced
  • 2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves
  • 150g walnuts, toasted in a dry pan, then crumbled
  • a large handful of dill fronds, finely chopped

FOR THE DILL CRÈME FRAÎCHE

  • 250g crème fraîche
  • a large handful of dill fronds, finely chopped
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Tip the beetroot into a large roasting tin and drizzle over the balsamic vinegar & olive oil. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Roast until tender. Start checking at about 45 minutes but it could take up to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

For the dill crème fraîche, whisk the crème fraîche with the dill, lemon juice and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and some black pepper.

Mix the beetroot with the scallions and baby spinach in a large bowl, then add a good drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Fold the dill crème fraîche through the beetroots – a kind of marble effect looks good so toss gently. Top with the roasted walnuts and sprinkle with more dill to serve.

(Original recipe from Commmunity: Salad Recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen by Hetty McKinnon, Pan MacMillan Australia, 2014.)

Read Full Post »

In defence of sprouts…

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , on 18 December 2017| 2 Comments »

Sprout with roasted hazelnuts

Many sprout recipes claim to be able to convert sprout-haters. Not so, they are a lost cause and not worth wasting your Brussels on. The vinaigrette dressing on this unusual sprout dish makes this more like a warm salad and it would be particularly nice with some cold roast turkey.

Roast Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts – serves 6 as a side dish

  • 50g hazelnuts
  • 450g Brussels sprouts, halved lengthways
  • 60ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ a red onion, very finely diced

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for about 8 minutes. Tip into a clean tea towel and give them a good rub – the skins should come off easily. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and set aside.

Toss the sprouts with 1 tbsp of olive oil, some salt and black pepper. Tip onto a baking tray and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. or until tender and starting to turn crispy at the edges. Give them a shake half way through if you remember.

Whisk the remaining olive oil (45ml) with the lemon juice, mustard and onion and season to taste.

Toss the dressing with the roasted sprouts and hazelnuts and serve warm.

(Original recipe from Neil Perry’s Good Cooking, Murdoch Books, 2016.)

Read Full Post »

BBQ Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 14 August 2017| Leave a Comment »

BBQ roasted cherry tomatoesA revelation of a dish that we’ve been cooking all summer. Much tastier than expected and goes with pretty much anything you cook on the barbecue.

Roasted tomatoes & red onions – serves 6

  • 2 red onions, halved and sliced
  • 500g mixed small tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, bashed
  • 3 thyme sprigs

Put the onion in the middle of a large square of double thickness foil. Fold the sides of the foil up to form a baking tray (or you can use a foil tray like we did).

Scatter the tomatoes over the onions and drizzle with about 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the bashed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Put the foil onto a rack on the barbecue and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onions and tomatoes are tender.

If the weather gods don’t shine you can put all the ingredients onto a roasting tray and bake in the oven at 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 for 20 minutes.

(Original idea from BBC Olive Magazine, June 2005.)

 

Read Full Post »

Cooling Yoghurt with Cucumber & Mint

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 19 July 2017| 1 Comment »

Yoghurt with cucumber and mint

A perfect cooling accompaniment for barbecued lamb kebabs and Persian rice dishes. The fresh mint can be replaced with fresh dill.

Yoghurt with Cucumber & Mint – serves 4-6

  • 200g cucumber
  • 500g Greek yoghurt
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tbsp sultanas
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Cut the cucumber in half and scoop out the watery middle and seeds with a teaspoon. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water over a bowl using your hands.

Mix the cucumber into the yoghurt, along with the garlic, dried mint, fresh mint, dill, sultanas, salt and pepper. Stir well before serving.

(Original recipe from The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan, Bloomsbury, 2016.)

Read Full Post »

A Good Greek Salad for Easter Barbecues!

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 13 April 2017| Leave a Comment »

Greek salad

Perfect with many Greek dishes, but none mores than barbecued lamb cutlets or kebabs/souvlaki. You could also serve it as as starter with some crusty bread. A very popular salad in our house when the days get warmer. In fact, we blogged it here a few years ago and it’s still a firm favourite.

Greek Salad – serves 4

  • 450g ripe tomatoes
  • ½ a cucumber
  • 1 red onion (we only use half an onion)
  • 200g Greek feta cheese
  • 4½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp ouzo/Pernod
  • 2 tbsp chopped dill
  • 20 small black olives
  • large pinch of dried oregano – Greek if you can find it

Cut the tomatoes into chunky pieces and cut the cucumber in half lengthways and then across into thick slices. Slice the red onion as thinly as possible (a mandolin is good for this if you have one). Crumble the feta into chunky pieces.

To make the dressing whisk the olive oil, ½ tsp salt, the red wine vinegar, ouzo/Pernod and some black pepper in a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber and onions and toss gently. Add the feta, dill and olives and mix briefly.

Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with the dried oregano and some coarsely ground black pepper.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

Read Full Post »

Jacket Potatoes Stuffed with Creamy Leeks

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 1 March 2017| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy leek baked potatoes

We’re regularly left with a rogue leek in the bottom of the fridge and it usually finds its way into a dish like this, particularly if there is some cream lurking as well. Quantities don’t matter too much here so use what you’ve got.

  • Baking potatoes
  • Butter
  • Leeks, sliced finely
  • Cream
  • Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oven to 220°C.

Rub the potatoes with olive oil and place on a tray in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200ºC and continue to cook for about another hour.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté the leeks until they are meltingly tender. Add the cream and bubble together until you have a thick sauce.

When the potatoes are soft, cut them in half and scoop out the centres, leaving a thin layer of potato on the skins. Mash the removed potato, mix with the creamy leeks and season with salt and lots of pepper. Pile this mixture back into the potato skins and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and started to brown.

Serve this on its own for a midweek supper or as a side dish with chargrilled chops or sausages.

Read Full Post »

Roasted broccoli

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 7 December 2015| 1 Comment »

Roasted broccoli

Roasted broccoli is a bit different and retains a satisfying crunch. Careful not to over-roast the pine nuts!

Roasted broccoli – serves 4 as a side dish

  • 200g broccoli, cut into florets including the stalk
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 25g pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 240C/Gas 9.

Put the broccoli in a bowl and toss with the garlic and olive oil, then season well with salt and black pepper.

Tip into a roasting tin and put into the oven. After 10 minutes sprinkle over the pine nuts and cook for another 5 minutes or until the broccoli is starting to soften and the pine nuts are golden.

(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, HarperCollins, 2013.)

Read Full Post »

Crispy Potato Skins

Posted in Cheese, Food, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 16 November 2015| 3 Comments »

Crispy potato skins

These super tasty bacon & blue cheese stuffed potato skins work well as a starter or a side dish. Probably best not to count the calories!

Cheesy Baked Potato Skins – serves 4

  • 4 baking potatoes
  • olive oil
  • 8 rashers of thick-cut pancetta
  • 2 cos lettuces, leaves separated and roughly chopped
  • 4 celery sticks, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp chopped celery leaves
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • smoked paprika for dusting (optional)

FOR THE CHEESY DRESSING:

  • 250g crème fraîche
  • 200g Roquefort cheese, crumbled
  • 100g mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • few splashes of Tabasco sauce

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4.

Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes or until soft in the middle and nice and crispy on the outside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh but be careful not to break the skins. Keep the scooped out potato to make something else with.

Put the potato skins back onto the baking tray, drizzle with oil and put back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until really crisp and brown.

Meanwhile, gently fold the crème fraîche, Roquefort and mayonnaise together for the dressing. Stir in the mustard and Tabasco and season.

Cook the pancetta slices under a hot grill until crispy.

Mix the lettuce and celery together in a large bowl then add the cheesy dressing. Put the bacon rashers into the baked potato skins and spoon the cheesy stuffing over the top. Garnish each one with some of the chopped celery leaves and chives and dust with paprika.

(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Absolute Press, 2014.)

 

Read Full Post »

Speedy Gaucamole

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 10 April 2011| 2 Comments »

This guacamole takes minutes to make and is delish! Avocados are in season now too so you should have no bother picking up some nice ripe ones. Another side that we pulled from one of Jamie’s 30 minute meals. It’s so good we’ve made it twice in 48 hours!

  • 4 scallions
  • bunch of fresh coriander
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
  • 1 lime
  • 2-3 small ripe avocados
  • a handful of cherry tomatoes

Put the scallions into your food processor with the coriander, whole chilli (remove the stalk), garlic,  the juice from the lime and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Whizz while you stone the avocados and quarter the tomatoes.

Stop whizzing and put the avocado flesh into the processor. Add the tomatoes and pulse until chunky (don’t start whizzing again or it will go smooth which you don’t want here).

Scrape it out into a bowl, season and add a bit more lime juice if you want.

Serve with tortilla chips, chilli or whatever you like.

Read Full Post »