Jun

22

Cottage Pie

June 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Cottage PieLooking for a versatile recipe using minced meat then this should fill the gap. Use minced beef for the “cottage pie” but you can use minced lamb to make a similar “shepherds pie”.

Serve up with additional seasonal vegetables. Recipe serves up to six.

Ingredients:

Minced Meat 900g 2 lb
Onions 2
Carrots (Medium) 4
Potatoes 900g 2lb
Milk
Margarine

Method:

Peel and dice the onions (not too small), peel and slice the carrots, place in a a pressure cooker with the minced meat and a little water. Cook under pressure for 6 minutes and allow to cool and depressurise before removing lid.

While the meat is cooking peel the potatoes, cut them into small chunks and cook in boiling water until soft, then mash with a knob of butter and some milk to make a creamy mash.

When the meat is cooked remove the lid and bring back to the boil. Put a little water in a cup and mix with corn flour to make a runny paste and brown with gravy browning. Stir this mixture in to the meat to thicken it. Tip the meat mixture into a suitable casserole or oven proof container and level off. Top off with the mashed potatoes and fork over to create a spikey texture. 

Cook for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200C ,400F, Gas Mark  6 until hot and the potato is slightly browned.  

Jun

19

Spinach Soup

June 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Looking for a liquid food of the gods, try this for size. The spinach soup is basically made by liquidising the boiled spinach leaves. Add a little cream and served hot with croutons at the beginning of your meal. Enjoy! Serves 4 or 5.

Ingredients:
450 g (1 lb) spinach leaves
900 ml (1½ pints) vegetable stock
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
salt and pepper.
few drops of Tabasco
450 ml (¾ pint) buttermilk
To Serve:
60 ml (4 tbsp) double cream
croutons (page 97)

Method:
Place the spinach, stock and lemon juice in a large saucepan.

Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Pass through a sieve and return to the pan.

Reheat gently with the Tabasco and buttermilk.

Serve hot with a little cream swirled in and accompanied by croutons.

Jun

17

Half Brown BreadThis bread is relatively quick and easy to make and has a lovely consistency when cooked. I find that a fifty/fifty mixture of strong wholemeal flour and strong white flour works very well. 

Ingredients:

Strong Wholemeal Flour   225g
Strong White Flour   225g
Margarine   25g
Yeast   7g Sachet
Sugar   5ml (1 level teaspoon)
Salt   5-10ml (1 - 2 level teaspoons)
Tepid Water   300ml (½ pint)

Method:

Grease two 2lb loaf tins.

Mix the flour, the salt and sugar together and then rub in the margarine until the mixture is like bread crumbs. 

Add the sachet of yeast and mix in to the flour.

Mix by hand adding enough water to give a fairly soft dough. Add more water if necessary.

Turn the dough on to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it becomes firm and elastic. I can usually feel this change in the dough.

Divide the dough into two and shape each part to fit into a loaf tin. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise until it has doubled in size.

When the dough is nearly fully risen, preheat the oven to 230°C ( 450°F, gas mark 8 ).

Place the loaf tins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 230°C, then reduce the temperature to 200°C ( 400°F, gas mark 6 ) and bake for a further 20 - 30 minutes.

After about 20 minutes in the oven take the loaf tins out of the oven, tip each loaf out on to a wire rack and tap the bottom of the loaf. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped with your knuckle. If it doesn’t, put it back into the oven in the loaf tin for another 5 minutes and then check again.

Jun

15

Fried Trout

June 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Pan Fried TroutSearching for what to do for a quick meal then fresh filleted trout, covered with an egg wash and gently fried to make a delicious treat. It’s that simple.

Ingredients:

Filleted Rainbow Trout - 1 fish for two servings

Egg - 1 or 2 should make enough egg wash for up to six fillets
Milk - 50ml per egg

Flour - as needed
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Oil - as needed

Method:

Serving Pan Fried TroutThaw the trout fillets if frozen, wash and pat dry.
To prepare the egg wash, beat the egg and milk together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To prepare the flour, season well with salt and pepper.
Dip each fillet into the egg wash, making sure it is well covered, then coat well with the flour.

Pan fry each fillet in hot vegetable oil for about 2 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with fork.

Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve immediately with seasonal vegetables.

Jun

14

Searching for a soup using lentils or carrots (or both!) then the basic recipe for this carrot and lentil soup is quite tasty. As an alternative, you might like to add 2 tsp of Cumin Seeds and a pinch of Chilli Flakes in the ingredients at stage one to give a bit different flavour. I generally leave them out for my version but you may like to try the soup with them. Serves 4.

Carrot and Lentil Soup
 
Ingredients:

600 g Carrots
140 g Split Red Lentils
1 litre hot Vegetable Stock
2 tbsp Olive Oil
125 ml Milk

To Serve:
Plain Yogurt
Bread Rolls

Method: 

Peel, wash and coarsely grate the carrots and put in a pan. Add the oil, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.

Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).

Season to taste and finish with a dessert spoonfull  of yogurt.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with warmed bread rolls or wholemeal bread of choice.
 

Jun

7

Tuna Salad

June 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Searching for a fish based salad that is satisfying and delicious. This recipe serves 2 but its really easy to double up the quantities when needed.

Ingredients
185g (6oz) can tuna fish in vegetable oil
1 tbsp malt vinegar
2 tsp coarse-grain mustard
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
mixed salad leaves
50g (2oz) button mushrooms, halved
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
¼ cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced
½ avocado, peeled and sliced
seasoning to taste

Method
Drain the oil from the can of tuna fish into a bowl and mix with the vinegar, mustard and sugar to make the dressing. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in 1 tbsp of the chopped chives.

Flake the tuna fish.

Arrange the salad leaves on two serving plates.

Arrange the tuna fish, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado in the centre.

Spoon the dressing over the salad and sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve at once.

 

May

5

Searching for a special cake featuring ginger and black treacle then why not try this? It is delicious with fresh coffee as a supper time treat. Can also be used as a dessert with custard or cream or even ice cream. Provides upto 12 slices

Ingredients
100g (4oz) butter or margarine
175g (6oz) black treacle
50g (2oz) golden syrup
225g/8oz plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150ml (¼ pint) milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
25g/1oz caster sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
8 pieces stem ginger, thinly sliced
25g (1oz) angelica, cut into sticks
100g (4oz) glace icing to decorate

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 °C (325 °F, Gas Mark 3).

Grease an 18-20cm (7-8in) square cake tin with melted butter or margarine.

Line the base and sides with greaseproof paper and brush the paper with more melted butter.

Place the butter (or margarine) and black treacle and golden syrup in a small pan and heat gently until just melted then stir the milk into the melted mixture.

Sift the plain flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add the two eggs and caster sugar to the dry ingredients, then gradually pour the melted mixture into the bowl, stirring very carefully with a wooden spoon.

Beat thoroughly (still using the wooden spoon) until any lumps in the mixture are smoothed out.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and set it on a baking sheet.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes until firm and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Carefully arrange the stem ginger and sticks of angelica in the centre of the cooled cake.

To make the glace icing; mix the icing sugar with enough water to give it a thin pouring consistency.

Pour the glace icing into a small piping bag and drizzle it over the top of the gingerbread for decoration.

May

3

Searching for a spicy cake featuring golden syrup then why not try this. It is delicious with fresh coffee as a supper time treat. Can also be used as a dessert with custard or cream.

Ingredients

100g/4oz butter or margarine
225g/8oz golden syrup
225g/8oz plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150ml/1/4 pint milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
25g/1oz caster sugar
handful of chopped glace cherries or dried fruit (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 °C (325 °F, Gas Mark 3).

Grease an 18-20cm (7-8in) square cake tin with melted butter or margarine. Line the base and sides with greaseproof paper and brush the paper with more butter.

Place the butter (or margarine) and syrup in a small pan and heat gently until just melted then stir the milk into the melted mixture.

Sift the plain flour, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add the two eggs and caster sugar to the dry ingredients, then gradually pour the melted mixture into the bowl, stirring very carefully with a wooden spoon.

Beat thoroughly (still using the wooden spoon) until any lumps in the mixture are smoothed out.

You can also add a handful of chopped glace cherries or dried fruit at this stage (optional) and stir in.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and set it on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes until firm and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack to cool then turn out.

May

1

When searching for a delicious tuna dish why not try this. The recipe uses canned tuna with fresh brocccoli florets and pasta twists to make a pleasant baked, all in one dish. Instead of pasta twists you can use alternative pasta shapes, for example large or small pasta shells or even multi coloured pasta. Delicious served hot from the oven. The recipe serves upto 4.

Ingredients:
225g / 8oz pasta twists
175g / 6oz broccoli, cut into bite sized florets
400g / 14oz can tuna fish in brine, drained
50g / 2oz sunflower margarine
50g / 2oz wholemeal or plain white flour
600ml / 1 pint skimmed milk
75g / 3oz low fat Cheddar type cheese, grated
½ tsp English mustard powder (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
25g / 1oz fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

Method:

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

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes, add the broccoli then return to the boil and cook for 4 - 5 minutes until just tender then drain.

Flake the tuna into an ovenproof dish.

Place the margarine, flour and milk in a pan, heat gently until the margarine has melted.

Increase the heat and stir continuously until the sauce boils and thickens.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and add half of the cheese and the mustard powder (if used).

Season with pepper.

Spoon the pasta and broccoli over the tuna and cover with the sauce.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese and then sprinkle over the mixture.

Bake for about 25 minutes until golden and crisp on top.

Serve immediately.

Apr

30

Macaroni Cheese

April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment

When searching for a simple but delicious macaroni dish why not try this. The recipe uses macaroni or the alternative pasta shapes topped with a lovely cheese sauce. Instead of the macaroni you can use pasta twists, large or small pasta shells, multi coloured pasta shapes or even make up a mixture for a bit of fun. Delicious served hot from the oven. The recipe serves up to 4 as a starter and 2 or 3 as a main meal together with seasonal vegetables.

Ingredients:

Macaroni or Pasta Shapes 225g 8oz
Butter or Margarine 65g 2½oz
Plain Flour 65g 2½oz
Milk 900ml 1½pints
* Grated Nutmeg 1 pinch
Mature Cheddar Cheese- grated 225g 8oz
Onion, chopped 1
Parsley - chopped (optional) 15ml 1tbsp
Salt and Pepper to season
* Nutmeg can be replaced with Mustard 2.5ml ½ tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6. 

Cook the macaroni or pasta in salted boiling water for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain thoroughly and place in a large oven proof dish. 

While the macaroni is cooking melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion until soft.

Stir in the flour and cook for a further minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the milk making sure there are no lumps. Bring back to the boil and simmer, stirring until the mixture thickens.  

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.  Add the nutmeg (or mustard) and stir in most of the grated cheese.

Pour the mixture over the cooked macaroni or pasta in the oven proof dish. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Garnish with the parsley (optional) and serve immediately.

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