Monday, 12 April 2010

Menu for w/c 12th April 2010

Large piece of beef pot roasted yesterday - ideal for my take on a Philly Steak sandwich. Will make up a large quantity of herby meat sauce with the remaining beef; some to have with pasta at the end of the week the rest for the freezer.

With the nettles bursting into growth at the edge of the field, time for a batch of nettle soup

M Spicy spaghetti with garlic mushrooms
T Philly Steak Sandwiches
W Jerk chicken
Th Meal from freezer
F Pasta and herby meat sauce

Salads etc for lunch
Puy lentil and feta salad
Cottage cheese and pine nuts
Toast pine nuts in dry frying pan until golden. Leave to cool. Add to tub of cottage cheese along with two finely chopped spring onions. Serve with green salad and a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing.
Potato and radish salad with salami
Beef and Beetroot salad
Nettle soup

Friday, 9 April 2010

Buffalo Chicken Wings and Garlic Blue Cheese dip

With the glorious weather we're going for first bbq of the year. Can't believe that I haven't written up my recipe for the buffalo sauce for wings so here goes:

Melt 4tbsp low fat spread (I use an olive oil based one and melt in a small bowl in the microwave)
Stir in 1tbsp hot chilli sauce and 0.5tbsp ketchup

Sufficient for at least 15 chicken wings (cut at the joint and with tips removed prior to bbq'ing). Either coat cooked wings with sauce or use sauce for dipping.

Serve with garlic blue cheese dip:
Mash 75g Danish blue cheese with one crushed garlic clove and stir in about 250g plain yoghurt

If this is a starter for a large gathering I also serve carrot, celery and red pepper sticks as extras for the dip.

For tonight going to simply follow with burgers - much prefer to enjoy this lovely evening sun!

Thursday, 8 April 2010

Pasta with Saffron, Ham and Peas

Based on this recipe

Feeds 3-4

Cook 250g conchiglie or similar pasta (I used lumaconi last night) according to packet
Pour 1tbsp of boiling water over a pinch of saffron and leave to steep.

In a large frying pan gently heat 1tbsp olive oil and gently fry 1 finely chopped clove of garlic along with 3 roughly chopped slices of parma ham (or similar) and 3 roughly chopped slices of normal ham.
Add 250g frozen peas, 2-3 tbsp low fat soft cheese, 1 glass of white wine and the saffron. Simmer until liquid has reduced by at least a third.
Mix in pasta, season and serve.

Monday, 5 April 2010

Potato boulangere with cooked minced meat

Basics are for potato boulangere but interspersed with minced cooked meat

Heat oven to 170C

Slice 1.5 lb of potatoes thinly ideally using a mandolin (potato skins on is fine)
Mince 8 oz of cooked meat (beef is family favourite - can use less meat in which case ensure onion is large)
Finely slice 1 onion

Fry onion in oil until transparent

Layer potatoes, onion and meat (seasoning with salt and paper) in a lightly greased baking tray finishing with layer of potatoes.

Mix 0.5pt milk with 0.5 tsp dry mustard powder and tbsp finely chopped parsley and pour over the potatoes.

Bake in oven for one hour until potatoes are cooked through.

Serve with plenty of fresh vegetables..... and ketchup!

Menu for w/c 5th April 2010 - start of low(er) fat regime

Needing to lower the fat in the family diet (health/weight reasons) where cheese is going to be the hardest bit for me. Mr B will find both less meat as well as cheese the hardest. Master B will probably keep eating as he currently does (bean pole and still growing).

Although I have number of my own recipes that are easily modified am also going to intersperse with new recipes.

M Potato Boulangere (par boiling the onion rather than frying)
T Meal from Freezer - lamb tagine with cous cous
W Pasta: happen to have some parma ham so will go for a varient of this pasta with pea recipe - my variant is here
Th Chicken - spiced chicken with rice and crisp red onions
F One of the below depending on what is in the shops!


In the must try when appropriate list:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4811/panfried-venison-with-blackberry-sauce
Turkey spag bol
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12134/italian-turkey-steaks-with-garlicky-bean-mash
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10767/turkey-burgers-with-beetroot-relish
Chicken burgers with spinach and pine nuts
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4380/very-quick-chicken-casserole
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9021/chicken-and-white-bean-stew
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13192/lamb-and-squash-curry
Moroccan lamb stew with pumpkin
Spicy spaghetti with garlic mushrooms
Light carbonara



and for lunch
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13241/chargrilled-turkey-with-quinoa-tabbouleh-and-tahin

Tuesday, 9 March 2010

18th Birthday lunch

My eldest child is now formally an adult!!

Lunch on Sunday to celebrate (amidst her other celebrations) consisted of

Smoked Salmon
Feta stuffed olives
Chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms and bacon with marsala sauce
Chocolate party cake warmed and served with cream and/or ice cream

The chicken recipe is from Delia Online although said daughter has the recipe in a Delia cook book. She's tried it before but first time for me. Very proud that E happily tackled this recipe let alone got great results. (Served with mashed potatoes and butter steamed carrots and green beans)

The feta stuffed olives is one E was taught a couple of years back (by great friend) and she made them despite it being her birthday:

Take a jar/pot of green queen olives (pitted)
Mash feta cheese with basil and parsley and season
Stuff olives with feta mix (end of a teaspoon helps)
Dip stuffed olives in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs
Fry until lightly golden on all sides
Serve immediately

Amount of feta needed? Well we did this by eye so you will have to wait until we repeat and weigh out properly. Any left over feta can be added to a salad or even on top of a lamb chop the next day.


Chocolate cake was adorned with indoor fireworks as well as 18 candles. ... and numerous mini eggs.