You might sniff, but there's absolutely a right way to make this. And then there's the yawning chasm of nothingness which is how it tastes when you make it wrong.
You'll need:
homemade bread, two thick slices (or some nice bread, just so long as you don't use sliced white)
mature cheddar - enough slices to cover the bread
worcestershire sauce
a grill (don't even think about toasting the bread and then melting the cheese in the microwave)
Turn on your grill, and let it heat up a bit. Curse the fact you have a ridiculously large oven/grill, and are therefore paying the electricity company the GDP of a small country to grill two slices of bread.
Stick the slices of bread under, and let them get very lightly browned. Lightly, mind you.
Turn the slices over, and place the cheese on top. Your Dad likes his with cheese covering every available surface; I like a bit of edging for a sure grip when eating. You decide.
Slosh a generous helping of worcestershire sauce on top of the cheese. Place under the grill until the cheese is bubbling, and slightly browned.
Eat straightaway. Whatever you do, don't stick it on a plate and forget about it - it'll turn to rubber.
31 October 2008
29 October 2008
Goulash
Slightly adapted from a Jamie Oliver version, and perfect at the end of a freezing cold day. You had a scarf, hat and gloves on, and ran all the way home from nursery to keep warm.
You'll need:
pork shoulder (I had about 400g of pork shoulder steaks, which I chopped up into chunks)
a couple of onions, sliced
a couple of peppers, sliced
a tin of tomatoes
half a teaspoon of paprika
half a teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
half a teaspoon of caraway seeds, ground
salt and pepper
a little wine vinegar (a couple of tablespoons)
Brown the chunks of pork in your stew pot, in a little olive oil. Chuck in the onions and the spices, and cook until the onions have softened and gone translucent. Add the peppers, and cook for a couple of minutes (I think some mushrooms would also go down well - so you could add them here).
Pour in the tin of tomatoes, the vinegar, and the salt and pepper and leave to simmer gently for a very long time - at least a couple of hours - until the pork falls apart. I did this on the hob today, as it's a bit ridiculous leaving on our oversized oven for a smallish pot of stew, but you could just bung it in the oven on very low.
We ate this with couscous, and some green vegetables. It'd also be lovely with rice, maybe with a little plain yoghurt or soured cream on the side.
You'll need:
pork shoulder (I had about 400g of pork shoulder steaks, which I chopped up into chunks)
a couple of onions, sliced
a couple of peppers, sliced
a tin of tomatoes
half a teaspoon of paprika
half a teaspoon of hot smoked paprika
half a teaspoon of caraway seeds, ground
salt and pepper
a little wine vinegar (a couple of tablespoons)
Brown the chunks of pork in your stew pot, in a little olive oil. Chuck in the onions and the spices, and cook until the onions have softened and gone translucent. Add the peppers, and cook for a couple of minutes (I think some mushrooms would also go down well - so you could add them here).
Pour in the tin of tomatoes, the vinegar, and the salt and pepper and leave to simmer gently for a very long time - at least a couple of hours - until the pork falls apart. I did this on the hob today, as it's a bit ridiculous leaving on our oversized oven for a smallish pot of stew, but you could just bung it in the oven on very low.
We ate this with couscous, and some green vegetables. It'd also be lovely with rice, maybe with a little plain yoghurt or soured cream on the side.
27 October 2008
Tomato and lentil soup
Lentil recipes we have known and loved, number 9,476.
You'll need:
an onion, finely sliced
a clove of garlic
half a mugful of lentils
some vegetable stock (I saved some sweetcorn cooking water)
a tin of tomatoes
half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and coriander seeds
salt and black pepper
Fry the onion and garlic, together with the cumin and coriander in a little olive oil, until the onion has gone transclucent. Add the vegetable stock (I must have added about a mugful), and the lentils. Leave simmering away for 10 minutes or so. Chuck in the tomatoes, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with lots of black pepper and a little salt.
Puree with the hand blender, taking care not to cover the kitchen. You could add a little creme fraiche to it, I guess, but that's fancy talk.
You'll need:
an onion, finely sliced
a clove of garlic
half a mugful of lentils
some vegetable stock (I saved some sweetcorn cooking water)
a tin of tomatoes
half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and coriander seeds
salt and black pepper
Fry the onion and garlic, together with the cumin and coriander in a little olive oil, until the onion has gone transclucent. Add the vegetable stock (I must have added about a mugful), and the lentils. Leave simmering away for 10 minutes or so. Chuck in the tomatoes, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with lots of black pepper and a little salt.
Puree with the hand blender, taking care not to cover the kitchen. You could add a little creme fraiche to it, I guess, but that's fancy talk.
23 October 2008
Cheese and ham croissants
Your Dad's were rather smellier than yours, due to the Stinking Bishop.
You'll need:
a couple of croissants each (preferably the part-baked ones)
some slices of parma ham
some slices of cheese (mature cheddar is good, also brie. The Bishop was a bit stinky.)
Turn the oven on quite high - about 200 degrees C. Slice each croissant, and bake for 4 or 5 minutes. Stuff each croissant with a slice of ham and cheese, and bake for another couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
Eat with some fruit, to take away the guilt.
You'll need:
a couple of croissants each (preferably the part-baked ones)
some slices of parma ham
some slices of cheese (mature cheddar is good, also brie. The Bishop was a bit stinky.)
Turn the oven on quite high - about 200 degrees C. Slice each croissant, and bake for 4 or 5 minutes. Stuff each croissant with a slice of ham and cheese, and bake for another couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
Eat with some fruit, to take away the guilt.
22 October 2008
A whole compendium of good recipes
No new recipes today (we just had sausages, mediterranean veg and some potatoes for tea), but a link to a rather good guide to cooking for (and with) kids.
21 October 2008
tuna and haricot bean salad
The ultimate storecupboard lunch. Except we ate it for tea as a side dish, together with some green salad and a pissaladiere.
You'll need:
a tin of haricot beans
a tin of tuna (preferably in oil)
a small onion, finely sliced
juice of half a lemon
black pepper
Drain the tuna, but keep the oil. Drain the beans and rinse. Mix the tuna and beans together in a large bowl, and add the sliced onion. Add some of the tuna oil and all of the lemon juice, and season generously with lots of black pepper.
You'll need:
a tin of haricot beans
a tin of tuna (preferably in oil)
a small onion, finely sliced
juice of half a lemon
black pepper
Drain the tuna, but keep the oil. Drain the beans and rinse. Mix the tuna and beans together in a large bowl, and add the sliced onion. Add some of the tuna oil and all of the lemon juice, and season generously with lots of black pepper.
20 October 2008
Olive oil pastry
I wouldn't normally have done pastry with olive oil, but Clare was staying with us and is avoiding dairy at the moment. And I didn't have any margarine to use instead.
I used this as a base for an oniony pissaladiere, complete with olives, capers and anchovies.
You'll need:
8oz plain flour
6 tablespoons olive oil
a little salt
a little water, preferably cold from the fridge
a food processor
Chuck the flour and olive oil in the food processor, and then press the button (you like doing this bit). Pulse everything together, until it starts to look a little like couscous. Add a small amount of water, and pulse. Repeat, until you get to the stage of lots of small beads of dough (I think I must have used a couple of hundred ml of water, and that was more than enough - you don't want it too wet). Roughly pull it all together (don't knead), and stick in a tupperware in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
Roll out as normal, onto a floured surface. It worked pretty well - and the olive taste complemented the onion topping brilliantly. I'm not sure it'd make great jam tarts though.
I used this as a base for an oniony pissaladiere, complete with olives, capers and anchovies.
You'll need:
8oz plain flour
6 tablespoons olive oil
a little salt
a little water, preferably cold from the fridge
a food processor
Chuck the flour and olive oil in the food processor, and then press the button (you like doing this bit). Pulse everything together, until it starts to look a little like couscous. Add a small amount of water, and pulse. Repeat, until you get to the stage of lots of small beads of dough (I think I must have used a couple of hundred ml of water, and that was more than enough - you don't want it too wet). Roughly pull it all together (don't knead), and stick in a tupperware in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
Roll out as normal, onto a floured surface. It worked pretty well - and the olive taste complemented the onion topping brilliantly. I'm not sure it'd make great jam tarts though.
19 October 2008
Baked eggs with lentils and chorizo
Otherwise known as the Vaguely Spanish dish. It was great for a freezing cold day that saw the last trip ever in the Triumph Dolomite. You and your Dad went to the appropriately 1970s Get Carter car park for one last look, and then we all piled in to pick up Clare from the station. Goodbye Triumph, it was nice knowing you.
You'll need:
an egg per person (or two, if you're really really greedy)
a couple of handfuls of red lentils per person
a tin of tomatoes
lots of chorizo, chopped into thick chunks
an onion, finely sliced
a clove of garlic
a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a little thyme, salt and black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 180 degrees C.
Cover the lentils with boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes or so, until they're no longer hard. In the meantime, fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until they're translucent. Add the tin of tomatoes and the herbs/spices to the onions, and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Drain the lentils, and chuck into the tomato sauce. Add the chunks of chorizo, and make sure it's mixed up well. If you wanted, you could leave out the chorizo to make a vegetarian version - you could add chickpeas or some haricot beans at this point to make it a little more substantial.
Put everything into an oven-proof dish. Make little dips/wells in the top, and break an egg into each. Shove in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the eggs have cooked. Keep an eye on them, as overdone eggs are revolting.
You'll need:
an egg per person (or two, if you're really really greedy)
a couple of handfuls of red lentils per person
a tin of tomatoes
lots of chorizo, chopped into thick chunks
an onion, finely sliced
a clove of garlic
a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a little thyme, salt and black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 180 degrees C.
Cover the lentils with boiling water, and cook for 10 minutes or so, until they're no longer hard. In the meantime, fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until they're translucent. Add the tin of tomatoes and the herbs/spices to the onions, and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Drain the lentils, and chuck into the tomato sauce. Add the chunks of chorizo, and make sure it's mixed up well. If you wanted, you could leave out the chorizo to make a vegetarian version - you could add chickpeas or some haricot beans at this point to make it a little more substantial.
Put everything into an oven-proof dish. Make little dips/wells in the top, and break an egg into each. Shove in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the eggs have cooked. Keep an eye on them, as overdone eggs are revolting.
17 October 2008
Salmon, tomato and pepper pasta
We ended up at the Tyneside Cinema today, watching the free news reel screening. I'd forgotten how magical it is when the curtain rises up to reveal the screen - you were entranced.
Tea was a bit of a leftover-fest. I used the three or four spoonfuls left of yesterday's peppers in a smoked paprika and tomato sauce and added a little more water and tomato puree to make enough for the two of us.
I then poached a little piece of salmon (Morrisons had some fantastic salmon trimmings last time we were there) in a little hot water for 4 or 5 minutes (you need just enough water to cover the fish). I flaked the fish, checked obsessively for bones, and added it to the tomato sauce, along with a little extra black pepper.
We ate our fishy pasta covered in grated cheese. Your tiny grater has been very popular.
Tea was a bit of a leftover-fest. I used the three or four spoonfuls left of yesterday's peppers in a smoked paprika and tomato sauce and added a little more water and tomato puree to make enough for the two of us.
I then poached a little piece of salmon (Morrisons had some fantastic salmon trimmings last time we were there) in a little hot water for 4 or 5 minutes (you need just enough water to cover the fish). I flaked the fish, checked obsessively for bones, and added it to the tomato sauce, along with a little extra black pepper.
We ate our fishy pasta covered in grated cheese. Your tiny grater has been very popular.
16 October 2008
Peppers in a smoked paprika and tomato sauce
We spent this afternoon cruising up and down on your bicycle, rolling out playdoh, and baking scones. It was a bit action-packed...
We ate the peppers with yesterday's leftover pilau rice (your Dad always makes enough to feed a small army), and some chicken legs, roasted in the oven with lots of salt and pepper.
You'll need:
a couple of peppers, sliced (we had red and yellow today, your favourites)
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
a large-ish onion, or 2 small ones, sliced
a tin of chopped tomatoes
a squirt of tomato puree (depending on how watery a tin of tomatoes you've got - top tip, Lidl's are fairly awful)
half a teaspoon of smoked paprika
a teaspoon of thyme
a teaspoon of runny honey
lots of black pepper and a little salt
Fry the onions and garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, and fry until they, and the onions, are soft. The more olive oil you use, the glossier and richer the sauce will taste.
Bung in the herbs and all the tomato-type products. Bring to the boil, and then leave to simmer for 15 minutes or so. Have a taste and see what you think - add some salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of honey if the paprika is a little harsh. Leave simmering for another 20-30 minutes - while whatever you've got to eat with it is cooked.
We ate the peppers with yesterday's leftover pilau rice (your Dad always makes enough to feed a small army), and some chicken legs, roasted in the oven with lots of salt and pepper.
You'll need:
a couple of peppers, sliced (we had red and yellow today, your favourites)
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
a large-ish onion, or 2 small ones, sliced
a tin of chopped tomatoes
a squirt of tomato puree (depending on how watery a tin of tomatoes you've got - top tip, Lidl's are fairly awful)
half a teaspoon of smoked paprika
a teaspoon of thyme
a teaspoon of runny honey
lots of black pepper and a little salt
Fry the onions and garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, and fry until they, and the onions, are soft. The more olive oil you use, the glossier and richer the sauce will taste.
Bung in the herbs and all the tomato-type products. Bring to the boil, and then leave to simmer for 15 minutes or so. Have a taste and see what you think - add some salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of honey if the paprika is a little harsh. Leave simmering for another 20-30 minutes - while whatever you've got to eat with it is cooked.
15 October 2008
Special pilau rice
This is one of your Dad's favourites.
You'll need:
about a mug full of basmati rice
some oil (usually sunflower is fine)
4 cardomom seeds
a piece of cinnamon stick
an onion, chopped up finely
2 mugfuls of water, or stock (vegetable stock is fine)
a little salt and pepper
Wash the rice under the cold tap for a minute or so, and then leave to drain. Meanwhile, pour a tablespoon or so of oil into the frying pan, add the spices, and fry for 20-30 seconds. Chuck in the onion, and fry until it's translucent and golden.
Throw the rice into the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes.Add the liquid, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes or so, until it's all been absorbed and the rice is beautifully soft.
Goes nicely with tandoori chicken and anything lentil-y...
You'll need:
about a mug full of basmati rice
some oil (usually sunflower is fine)
4 cardomom seeds
a piece of cinnamon stick
an onion, chopped up finely
2 mugfuls of water, or stock (vegetable stock is fine)
a little salt and pepper
Wash the rice under the cold tap for a minute or so, and then leave to drain. Meanwhile, pour a tablespoon or so of oil into the frying pan, add the spices, and fry for 20-30 seconds. Chuck in the onion, and fry until it's translucent and golden.
Throw the rice into the pan, and fry for about 5 minutes.Add the liquid, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes or so, until it's all been absorbed and the rice is beautifully soft.
Goes nicely with tandoori chicken and anything lentil-y...
14 October 2008
Spicy spinach and tomato
Just the thing to go with very sticky spare ribs and some plain boiled rice, after an exhausting afternoon making Captain Jack a sports car.
You'll need:
a bag of spinach (there was probably about 300g left in ours)
an onion, sliced
a tin of tomatoes
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or if you've got fresh ginger even better - a couple of cm would be great)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin, if anyone's particularly fussy about crunchy bits)
lots of black pepper, and a little salt
Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until it's soft. Then, add the spices, and heat for a minute or two. Chuck in the spinach, and swish around, until it's coated in the spice mix. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
You'll need:
a bag of spinach (there was probably about 300g left in ours)
an onion, sliced
a tin of tomatoes
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or if you've got fresh ginger even better - a couple of cm would be great)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin, if anyone's particularly fussy about crunchy bits)
lots of black pepper, and a little salt
Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until it's soft. Then, add the spices, and heat for a minute or two. Chuck in the spinach, and swish around, until it's coated in the spice mix. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, and then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
12 October 2008
Onion gravy
Nicked and adapted from Nigel Slater, and eaten with his extremely fine toad-in-the-hole after a day of running round and paddling in fountains at the Alnwick Garden.
You'll need
2 onions, finely sliced
a tablespoon of flour
a small glass of red wine (or you could use a little sherry instead, I guess)
250ml stock (ok, I cheated - it was an oxo cube in some hot water...)
salt, pepper, large splash of worcestershire sauce
Fry the onions in some olive oil on a very very low heat for a long time - you want them to be really soft, squidgy and pale brownish. Then add the flour, and fry for a good couple of minutes. Add the wine/stock/seasonings, and bring to the boil. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or so, until the gravy has thickened.
You'll need
2 onions, finely sliced
a tablespoon of flour
a small glass of red wine (or you could use a little sherry instead, I guess)
250ml stock (ok, I cheated - it was an oxo cube in some hot water...)
salt, pepper, large splash of worcestershire sauce
Fry the onions in some olive oil on a very very low heat for a long time - you want them to be really soft, squidgy and pale brownish. Then add the flour, and fry for a good couple of minutes. Add the wine/stock/seasonings, and bring to the boil. Simmer for at least 15 minutes or so, until the gravy has thickened.
11 October 2008
Chocolate cornflake cakes
Yeah, yeah, they're bad for you. But you've got to try them at some point.
You'll need:
100g milk chocolate (we used a leftover Easter egg that we found at the back of the cupboard)
25g butter
1 tsp golden syrup
50g cornflakes
Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan, over a very low heat. I suspect this is probably better if you do it in a bain marie - put some water in a pan, suspend a bowl over the top (with the chocolate/butter in), and put on the heat.
Add a teaspoon of golden syrup to the sludgy mixture. Stir. (Don't panic at this point if it all goes wrong and the chocolate mixture separates - we carried on regardless and it all tasted and looked fine.)
Throw in the cornflakes, and swish round with a spoon until they're all coated with chocolate. Spoon into little paper cases, and then put in the fridge to set.
It's easiest if you use cases that will fit into bun tins, and then you can just stick the whole tin, complete with 12 little paper cases, in the fridge.
You'll need:
100g milk chocolate (we used a leftover Easter egg that we found at the back of the cupboard)
25g butter
1 tsp golden syrup
50g cornflakes
Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan, over a very low heat. I suspect this is probably better if you do it in a bain marie - put some water in a pan, suspend a bowl over the top (with the chocolate/butter in), and put on the heat.
Add a teaspoon of golden syrup to the sludgy mixture. Stir. (Don't panic at this point if it all goes wrong and the chocolate mixture separates - we carried on regardless and it all tasted and looked fine.)
Throw in the cornflakes, and swish round with a spoon until they're all coated with chocolate. Spoon into little paper cases, and then put in the fridge to set.
It's easiest if you use cases that will fit into bun tins, and then you can just stick the whole tin, complete with 12 little paper cases, in the fridge.
10 October 2008
American-style pancakes
We spent the afternoon on the beach at Tynemouth, in unseasonably hot sunshine. Weird.
Anyway, we were starving. So pancakes it was.
Makes enough for one adult and one toddler:
1 egg, beaten
115g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
150ml milk
a knob of butter, melted
Stick everything in the blender, and persuade sandy toddler to press the button. Ideally you should leave the batter to stand for a bit, but we were too hungry.
Melt a little butter in the frying pan (or use a bit of sunflower oil), turn the heat up high, and then drop a ladleful of batter into the pan. After about a minute or two, you'll see little bubbles and blisters appear on the surface. Turn the pancake over, and then give it about another minute. Ta da! Repeat ad nauseam until you've run out of batter.
You could make a stack, American stylee, dripping with maple syrup. Or stick some sweetcorn/blueberries/spinach (anything small, essentially), into the ladleful of batter once it's hit the pan. We ate ours today with salty, smoked streaky bacon - either on the side (you) or in the middle of the batter (me). Sadly we'd run out of maple syrup, but Golden Syrup was a fairly good substitute.
Anyway, we were starving. So pancakes it was.
Makes enough for one adult and one toddler:
1 egg, beaten
115g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
150ml milk
a knob of butter, melted
Stick everything in the blender, and persuade sandy toddler to press the button. Ideally you should leave the batter to stand for a bit, but we were too hungry.
Melt a little butter in the frying pan (or use a bit of sunflower oil), turn the heat up high, and then drop a ladleful of batter into the pan. After about a minute or two, you'll see little bubbles and blisters appear on the surface. Turn the pancake over, and then give it about another minute. Ta da! Repeat ad nauseam until you've run out of batter.
You could make a stack, American stylee, dripping with maple syrup. Or stick some sweetcorn/blueberries/spinach (anything small, essentially), into the ladleful of batter once it's hit the pan. We ate ours today with salty, smoked streaky bacon - either on the side (you) or in the middle of the batter (me). Sadly we'd run out of maple syrup, but Golden Syrup was a fairly good substitute.
09 October 2008
Fish pie
Proper nursery food, this. And quite appropriate after an afternoon at Mothercare buying small vests and socks.
For three, you'll need:
a couple of pieces of fish (we had pollack because it was cheap in Morrisons, salmon would be even nicer)
two smallish onions, finely chopped
enough milk to cover the fish
whatever frozen prawns you can rustle up from the freezer, defrosted
a knob of butter
a tablespoon of flour
a couple of really large potatoes
salt, pepper, nutmeg and a bay leaf
Start off with the potatoes. Peel them, chop them up reasonably small, and stick in a pan with boiling water for about 12 minutes. Once they're soft, mash, adding lots of salt and pepper.
Then it's onto the onions. Saute them in a little olive oil for 6 or 7 minutes until they're soft. Chuck them in the bottom of your pie dish.
Check there aren't too many bones in the fish. Cover with milk, add a bayleaf, and simmer for 10 minutes or so, until it's cooked. The length of time will depend on (a) how thick it is and (b) whether you've got it straight out of the fridge and plunged it into a pan. A couple of minutes before the end, chuck in the prawns so they're cooked too.
Lift the fish and prawns out from the milk (don't throw the milk away!!). Take any skin off, flake it, remove any bones, and add to the onions in the bottom of the pie dish.
Add butter, flour and some grated nutmeg to the milk, and whisk gently for 10 minutes or so on a low heat, until the sauce has thickened. Pour over the fish mixture in the pie dish. Top with the mashed potato, and stick in the oven (at about 180C) for half an hour or so, until the top has gone crispy and the fish mixture is bubbling away.
You can get fancier - you could add some celery to the onion, maybe put some cheese on top of the potato, add some peas, vary the fish...the possibilities are endless.
For three, you'll need:
a couple of pieces of fish (we had pollack because it was cheap in Morrisons, salmon would be even nicer)
two smallish onions, finely chopped
enough milk to cover the fish
whatever frozen prawns you can rustle up from the freezer, defrosted
a knob of butter
a tablespoon of flour
a couple of really large potatoes
salt, pepper, nutmeg and a bay leaf
Start off with the potatoes. Peel them, chop them up reasonably small, and stick in a pan with boiling water for about 12 minutes. Once they're soft, mash, adding lots of salt and pepper.
Then it's onto the onions. Saute them in a little olive oil for 6 or 7 minutes until they're soft. Chuck them in the bottom of your pie dish.
Check there aren't too many bones in the fish. Cover with milk, add a bayleaf, and simmer for 10 minutes or so, until it's cooked. The length of time will depend on (a) how thick it is and (b) whether you've got it straight out of the fridge and plunged it into a pan. A couple of minutes before the end, chuck in the prawns so they're cooked too.
Lift the fish and prawns out from the milk (don't throw the milk away!!). Take any skin off, flake it, remove any bones, and add to the onions in the bottom of the pie dish.
Add butter, flour and some grated nutmeg to the milk, and whisk gently for 10 minutes or so on a low heat, until the sauce has thickened. Pour over the fish mixture in the pie dish. Top with the mashed potato, and stick in the oven (at about 180C) for half an hour or so, until the top has gone crispy and the fish mixture is bubbling away.
You can get fancier - you could add some celery to the onion, maybe put some cheese on top of the potato, add some peas, vary the fish...the possibilities are endless.
06 October 2008
Gruffalo crumble
We spent the morning in Chopwell woods, searching for brambles. The gruffalos had eaten most of them, but we managed a respectable lunchbox-full, despite being bombarded with shards of nuts from two squirrels who were nibbling away at the very top of a large oak tree.
For a small crumble for three you'll need:
a couple of apples (cooking apples would be best, but I only had dessert ones in the fruit bowl)
some brambles (a small lunchbox full)
a couple of tablespoons of granular sugar
2oz plain flour
a teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 oz butter
3/4 oz sugar
Peel, core and chop the apples, and stick at the bottom of a baking dish. Wash the brambles, and mix with the apples. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of sugar over the top.
To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour, and then stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Tip over the top of the apple/blackberry mixture. If you're really feeling fancy, you could add some flaked almonds on top.
Bake at 180 degrees C for half an hour or so - until the fruit is soft and the top is crispy and brown. Just watch out the gruffalos don't eat it all.
For a small crumble for three you'll need:
a couple of apples (cooking apples would be best, but I only had dessert ones in the fruit bowl)
some brambles (a small lunchbox full)
a couple of tablespoons of granular sugar
2oz plain flour
a teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 oz butter
3/4 oz sugar
Peel, core and chop the apples, and stick at the bottom of a baking dish. Wash the brambles, and mix with the apples. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of sugar over the top.
To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour, and then stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Tip over the top of the apple/blackberry mixture. If you're really feeling fancy, you could add some flaked almonds on top.
Bake at 180 degrees C for half an hour or so - until the fruit is soft and the top is crispy and brown. Just watch out the gruffalos don't eat it all.
05 October 2008
Salmon with lemon and ginger
Another of the "oh, stick it all together in a foil parcel and it'll taste fabulous" recipes. Very useful, epsecially when you're in the middle of watching Shaun the Sheep, and want something quick to bung in the oven for tea.
You'll need:
a couple of pieces of salmon
a couple of inches of ginger
half a lemon, sliced into small chunks
lots of black pepper
Take two large squares of foil, and plonk each piece of salmon in the middle of one, skin down. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top from the lemon chunks, and scatter them non-artistically around and over each fish. Peel and finely slice the ginger, and place on top of the salmon. Finish off with a good screw of black pepper.
Close the parcel so no steam can escape, and stick in the oven (at about 180 degrees) for around 20 minutes or so - it all depends on how thick your slices of salmon are. Once they're pale pink, you're onto a winner.
We ate this with noodles, stir fried with broccoli, onion and carrot. Chopsticks were quite popular...
You'll need:
a couple of pieces of salmon
a couple of inches of ginger
half a lemon, sliced into small chunks
lots of black pepper
Take two large squares of foil, and plonk each piece of salmon in the middle of one, skin down. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top from the lemon chunks, and scatter them non-artistically around and over each fish. Peel and finely slice the ginger, and place on top of the salmon. Finish off with a good screw of black pepper.
Close the parcel so no steam can escape, and stick in the oven (at about 180 degrees) for around 20 minutes or so - it all depends on how thick your slices of salmon are. Once they're pale pink, you're onto a winner.
We ate this with noodles, stir fried with broccoli, onion and carrot. Chopsticks were quite popular...
04 October 2008
Bacon and parsnip pasta
Yes, I know it sounds an odd one, but trust me, it was excellent. And just the thing after a wet afternoon wandering round Toys R Us spending your birthday money.
It's a Jamie Oliver recipe, slightly hacked about.
You'll need:
3 or so rashers of smoked streaky bacon each, chopped into small pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
some butter
a large handful of grated parmesan cheese (I bet mature cheddar would also be good here)
black pepper
fresh rosemary - the leaves from 3 or so stems
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
your pasta of choice
Chuck the bacon in a pan with a knob of butter, the garlic and the rosemary. Fry for two or three minutes, then throw in the parsnips, and fry for another five or six until the parsnips are softened and the bacon is crispy.
Meanwhile, stick your pasta on. Once it's al dente, drain (keep back a little of the cooking water), and throw into the pan with the parsnips/bacon etc. Add another couple of knobs of butter, the parmesan cheese, and a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen it all up. Season with lots of black pepper.
Mmmmm.
It's a Jamie Oliver recipe, slightly hacked about.
You'll need:
3 or so rashers of smoked streaky bacon each, chopped into small pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
some butter
a large handful of grated parmesan cheese (I bet mature cheddar would also be good here)
black pepper
fresh rosemary - the leaves from 3 or so stems
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
your pasta of choice
Chuck the bacon in a pan with a knob of butter, the garlic and the rosemary. Fry for two or three minutes, then throw in the parsnips, and fry for another five or six until the parsnips are softened and the bacon is crispy.
Meanwhile, stick your pasta on. Once it's al dente, drain (keep back a little of the cooking water), and throw into the pan with the parsnips/bacon etc. Add another couple of knobs of butter, the parmesan cheese, and a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen it all up. Season with lots of black pepper.
Mmmmm.
02 October 2008
Pepper and chickpea couscous
It was a leftovers kind of night - there was some pastry left from yesterday's quiches, and tomato sauce from the night before's sausage, roasted vegetables and couscous. Magically, these became pizza, to be eaten with salad and some chickpea couscous.
You'll need
5 handfuls of dried couscous
a little butter
half a large red pepper, chopped
an onion, finely chopped
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
a can of chickpeas
Stick a little knob of butter in a non-stick pan, and let it melt. Add the couscous, and swirl it about in the butter for a couple of minutes. (If you wanted a spiced couscous, you could add a teaspoon of ras al hanout at this point). Add enough water to cover the top of the couscous by about half a centimetre, and leave on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it's been absorbed. Have a try of the couscous - if it's still too gritty and hard, give it a stir, add a little more water, and take off the heat. When you come back to it in a couple of minutes, it should be done, and you should be able to fluff it up with a fork.
Fry the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened. Add the pepper, and cook until everything is soft. Drain the chickpeas and add to the mixture. Take off the heat, and add in the cooked couscous. Chuck a bit of salt and pepper over the top, and you're good to go. If you've got some flat leaf parsley hanging around that looks quite nice finely chopped and scattered on top.
You'll need
5 handfuls of dried couscous
a little butter
half a large red pepper, chopped
an onion, finely chopped
a clove of garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
a can of chickpeas
Stick a little knob of butter in a non-stick pan, and let it melt. Add the couscous, and swirl it about in the butter for a couple of minutes. (If you wanted a spiced couscous, you could add a teaspoon of ras al hanout at this point). Add enough water to cover the top of the couscous by about half a centimetre, and leave on a low heat for a couple of minutes until it's been absorbed. Have a try of the couscous - if it's still too gritty and hard, give it a stir, add a little more water, and take off the heat. When you come back to it in a couple of minutes, it should be done, and you should be able to fluff it up with a fork.
Fry the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until softened. Add the pepper, and cook until everything is soft. Drain the chickpeas and add to the mixture. Take off the heat, and add in the cooked couscous. Chuck a bit of salt and pepper over the top, and you're good to go. If you've got some flat leaf parsley hanging around that looks quite nice finely chopped and scattered on top.
01 October 2008
Mini spinach and stilton quiches
You were quite nifty at trimming the pastry to the right size for these. Shame you then refused to eat any of your cheese and onion one. Oh well.
This made enough for six mini quiches (five spinach and stilton, and one plain cheddar and onion). I had enough of the base mix left over to make a decent size pizza - so this recipe would make a fairly large single quiche (you'd maybe have had to add another egg and a lot more milk or cream to fill it).
8oz flour
2oz butter
5 fl oz milk
a little salt
We cheated on the base this time - we chucked the flour, butter and salt in the food processor as time was tight, and let that do all the work. We added the milk (somehow doing it in the food processor means you need a little more than usual), pressed the button, and hey presto there was dough. Magic.
Roll out reasonably thinly, and fit into greased mini-quiche tins (the ones with the removable bases are the easiest). Trim off any excess with a knife.
For the filling you'll need:
3 eggs
a little milk (maybe a couple of hundred ml)
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
an onion, sliced
about 3 inches of the end of the stilton cheese, cubed
salt and pepper
To make the filling, fry the onion in a little olive oil until it's softened. Tip into the six little quiches. Add the spinach leaves to the frying pan, and cook for a couple of minutes on low until they've wilted. Divide up, and add a little to each quiche. Chuck in three or four cubes of stilton to each tin. Season each quiche with a little salt and pepper.
Crack the eggs into a measuring jug, whizz round with a fork, and add the milk. Pour the mixture (very carefully) into each quiche. I find it's easiest to stand all the little tins on a large baking tray, then (a) you can lift them into the oven easily and (b) if any of the filling does escape you avoid cleaning the floor of the oven...
Bake at 180 degrees C for about 20 minutes, or until they've turned golden brown.
We ate ours with some salad, lots of chutneys and some chips.
This made enough for six mini quiches (five spinach and stilton, and one plain cheddar and onion). I had enough of the base mix left over to make a decent size pizza - so this recipe would make a fairly large single quiche (you'd maybe have had to add another egg and a lot more milk or cream to fill it).
8oz flour
2oz butter
5 fl oz milk
a little salt
We cheated on the base this time - we chucked the flour, butter and salt in the food processor as time was tight, and let that do all the work. We added the milk (somehow doing it in the food processor means you need a little more than usual), pressed the button, and hey presto there was dough. Magic.
Roll out reasonably thinly, and fit into greased mini-quiche tins (the ones with the removable bases are the easiest). Trim off any excess with a knife.
For the filling you'll need:
3 eggs
a little milk (maybe a couple of hundred ml)
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
an onion, sliced
about 3 inches of the end of the stilton cheese, cubed
salt and pepper
To make the filling, fry the onion in a little olive oil until it's softened. Tip into the six little quiches. Add the spinach leaves to the frying pan, and cook for a couple of minutes on low until they've wilted. Divide up, and add a little to each quiche. Chuck in three or four cubes of stilton to each tin. Season each quiche with a little salt and pepper.
Crack the eggs into a measuring jug, whizz round with a fork, and add the milk. Pour the mixture (very carefully) into each quiche. I find it's easiest to stand all the little tins on a large baking tray, then (a) you can lift them into the oven easily and (b) if any of the filling does escape you avoid cleaning the floor of the oven...
Bake at 180 degrees C for about 20 minutes, or until they've turned golden brown.
We ate ours with some salad, lots of chutneys and some chips.
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