Menu for the week July 9th 2017 incl Leek gravy and Tuscan Bean stew

Roast Chicken today. With:
Leek gravy: two large leeks, trimmed, cleaned. Halve lengthwise and slice into 1 cm slices. Put in lidde frying pan with a couple of tbsp . 400ml of liquid in total. 2 Chicken stock cubes - or 1 if lots of juices from the chicken.

And my own frozen roast potatoes - based on https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1789635/freezeahead-roasties but using polenta or semolina to coat


Using up some of the left over chicken, yet a vegetarian meal for me:

Tuscan Bean Stew. Variant that I will base on https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/white-haricot-bean-tomato-soup.html I have some dried haricot beans that need using (soaking as I type). Some slices of ciabatta and clever crispy chicken bits to go on top for him.

Freeze ahead Roast Potatoes

Needed to use potatoes before heading off for a few days. This is as much a reminder on how to cook them from frozen for myself. Will update when done. But a note for now - I used semolina instead of flour.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1789635/freezeahead-roasties

Thai Satay Noodles with an Asian Fish option

I love vegetarian meals. Mr B has some gene that makes him adverse to any meal that doesn't include meat! He does like fish - whilst I don't. So this is one of many meals I have been cooking where there is a good way of combing vegetarian and fish dishes

The fish element  is based on one from Jamie Oliver 15 minutes recipes 

Fish for 2 portions:
Heat oven to 200C
Oil base of shallow baking dish with about half tsp of seasame oil
Slice 150g skinned salmon fillet and 150g skinned white fish fillet into 1cm strips
Rub gently with half tsp of sea same oil and season with s&p. Place in baking dish.
Scatter half tbsp of seasame seeds over fish along with zest from half a lime and tsp of lime juice
Put in oven to cook for 7 mins.

Thai Satay Noodles for 2 portions:
Roast 15g peanuts (cashew nuts also works well)
Mix 1.5 tbsp crunchy peanut butter with 1.5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 100ml water and 1tbsp soy sauce to make smooth sauce.
Halve 40g baby sweet corn lengthways. Cut 70g broccoli into florists.
Cook 150g egg noodles according to packet
Heat 1tbsp sesame oil in wok or frying pan and stir fry sweet corn and broccoli with 1 heaped tsp of ginger and garlic paste (or 2.5cm ginger root grated and 1 large garlic clove finely chopped) for 3 mins
Add 25g mangetouot and fry for further 2 mins
Pour over peanut sauce and bring to boil
Drain noodles and add. Stir over high heat for a minute

Serve with peanuts or fish

Spinach soup

In need of a filling tasty soup post a lengthy dentist appointment and combined a couple of recipes to come up with this

In a saucepan put

Half tin of chopped tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
1 medium potato chopped
1 small green chilli roughly chopped
1 rounded tsp of ginger and garlic paste (or 1/4 inch ginger and 1 clove garlic)
300 ml water

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the onions and potatoes are soft

Add 100-150g spinach leaves and leave t wilt (about 2 minutes).

Blitz using hand blender

Season and add 100ml milk. Serve