Post Open Gardens BBQ earlier this month had a number of salads being brought along to go with the Pulled Pork and obligatory burgers and sausages. This is the one we were all asking for the recipe for. So courtesy of Anita - and based on original in Sainsbury's magazine:
5 medium courgettes thinly sliced lengthwise (original recipe had a medium aubergine in place of 2 of the courgettes). Toss in olive oil to lightly coat
1 tbsp dill (or fennel leaves) and 2tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
Juice of a lemon
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil from the jar of sunkiss tomatoes (below)
100g feta
30g sunkiss tomatoes roughly chopped
25g lightly toasted pine nuts
Griddle the courgettes - in batches - for 2-3 mins on each side until lightly charred and tender. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool slightly. When close or at room temperature, toss in the herbs and then arrange on a large platter. Crumble the feta and scatter over the courgettes along with the tomatoes and pine nuts over.
Whisk together the lemon juice and oil with some freshly ground black pepper and drizzle over.
If not served as part of a mass BBQ this salad is great with a green salad and hot pitta breads
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Swiss chard Saag Aloo
The Swiss chard last year is still producing leaves so adapted a Saag Aloo recipe to use it (Kate came round for supper yesterday evening rather than us meeting for a drink at the pub, so needed an additional dish to go with the Chicken Tikka Massala we had got out of the freezer for just Mr B and myself!) Serve with mint and cucumber raita and naan bread.
2tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp minced garlic and ginger
500g potatoes peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks
1 red chilli finely sliced (remove seeds if you want this to be mild - I didn't)
half tsp black mustard seeds
half tsp cumin seeds
half tsp turmeric
250 g swiss chard - stalks chopped, leaves roughly torn
Fry the onion in a frying pan that has a lid. Add the garlic and ginger and spices after 2 minutes. After a further 2 minutes add the potatoes and chilli cook for 5 minutes. Add couple of tbsp of water and the chard stalks, cover and cook until the potatoes cooked (upto 10 minutes). When they are add the chard leaves. Recover and gently cook until leaves have wilted. Season with salt and serve.
The recipe this was based on suggested addition of a can of chick peas to make this into a vegetarian meal for two. Might try this at some point
2tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp minced garlic and ginger
500g potatoes peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks
1 red chilli finely sliced (remove seeds if you want this to be mild - I didn't)
half tsp black mustard seeds
half tsp cumin seeds
half tsp turmeric
250 g swiss chard - stalks chopped, leaves roughly torn
Fry the onion in a frying pan that has a lid. Add the garlic and ginger and spices after 2 minutes. After a further 2 minutes add the potatoes and chilli cook for 5 minutes. Add couple of tbsp of water and the chard stalks, cover and cook until the potatoes cooked (upto 10 minutes). When they are add the chard leaves. Recover and gently cook until leaves have wilted. Season with salt and serve.
The recipe this was based on suggested addition of a can of chick peas to make this into a vegetarian meal for two. Might try this at some point
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Roast Lamb and Boulangere Potatoes, Lamb Stock, Pearl Barley Soup
Roast Lamb
Three constantly hungry young men to feed today along with Mr B so tried out James Martin's roast lamb with boulangere potatoes rather than battle with a mountain of roast potatoes. In my oven, for when I next cook it - which is a definite - the first 30 minutes should be at 220 and then the hour with the potatoes at 200. I didn't cook the peas and onions that Mr Martin has accompanying the lamb - other steamed veg instead.
All comments were very positive - nothing on lack of gravy as there was just enough juices in the potatoes!
Lamb Stock
I made Gordon Ramsey's Lamb Stock a couple of times last year using the bones from the whole lamb we purchased. Delicious! Thought I would see if I could get a reasonable stock from the bone left from todays roast using the pressure cooker. Not as tasty but will be good base for soup later this week.
400+g bone from roasted leg of lamb (with at least some scraps of meat left on it) split into two at the joint
Roughly chopped small onion
Roughly chopped carrot
End of celery sticks and leaves or roughly chopped half stick of celery
half teaspoon of garlic puree
1 tbsp olive oil
half teaspoon tomato puree
half glass of dry white wine
1 litre of water (I used water from cooking vegetables earlier)
1 bay leaf
2 peppercorns
Gently fry the vegetables in the oil in pressure cooker. When lightly golden add the garlic and tomato puree and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Add rest of ingredients, adding extra water if needed to cover everything, and bring to H pressure. Cook at H pressure for 30-45 minutes (I cooked for 30 minutes and will try 45 minutes next time). Take off heat and leave until back at room pressure. Strain into bowl. Pick meat off bones. Pass veg through sieve. If soup is intended use then add sieved veg and the meat to the stock. Either way leave to cool and skim off fat before use.
Hearty lamb and barley soup
When making Lamb Stock from bones from whole lamb there was plenty of meat that could be added to this soup. This week with less meat from the bone, I'll be experimenting with something like butternut squash with the pearl barley, root veg and stock. Will come back and update!
Busy day in many ways. Cheese on toast for supper and cooked by someone else methinks!
Three constantly hungry young men to feed today along with Mr B so tried out James Martin's roast lamb with boulangere potatoes rather than battle with a mountain of roast potatoes. In my oven, for when I next cook it - which is a definite - the first 30 minutes should be at 220 and then the hour with the potatoes at 200. I didn't cook the peas and onions that Mr Martin has accompanying the lamb - other steamed veg instead.
All comments were very positive - nothing on lack of gravy as there was just enough juices in the potatoes!
Lamb Stock
I made Gordon Ramsey's Lamb Stock a couple of times last year using the bones from the whole lamb we purchased. Delicious! Thought I would see if I could get a reasonable stock from the bone left from todays roast using the pressure cooker. Not as tasty but will be good base for soup later this week.
400+g bone from roasted leg of lamb (with at least some scraps of meat left on it) split into two at the joint
Roughly chopped small onion
Roughly chopped carrot
End of celery sticks and leaves or roughly chopped half stick of celery
half teaspoon of garlic puree
1 tbsp olive oil
half teaspoon tomato puree
half glass of dry white wine
1 litre of water (I used water from cooking vegetables earlier)
1 bay leaf
2 peppercorns
Gently fry the vegetables in the oil in pressure cooker. When lightly golden add the garlic and tomato puree and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add wine and reduce by half. Add rest of ingredients, adding extra water if needed to cover everything, and bring to H pressure. Cook at H pressure for 30-45 minutes (I cooked for 30 minutes and will try 45 minutes next time). Take off heat and leave until back at room pressure. Strain into bowl. Pick meat off bones. Pass veg through sieve. If soup is intended use then add sieved veg and the meat to the stock. Either way leave to cool and skim off fat before use.
Hearty lamb and barley soup
When making Lamb Stock from bones from whole lamb there was plenty of meat that could be added to this soup. This week with less meat from the bone, I'll be experimenting with something like butternut squash with the pearl barley, root veg and stock. Will come back and update!
Busy day in many ways. Cheese on toast for supper and cooked by someone else methinks!
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Pulled Pork - part of a 21st celebration
Eldest turned 21 and her request for the actual day was for us all to travel miles for a pulled pork 'burger'. Me saying that I could make it as good as if not better was probably only a minor factor to us not travelling said miles (friends coming round with bottles etc were probably the main ones). So now to confess - not that it will be a surprise - that I made it up from a variety of recipes found online. Result was so well recieved that it will be repeated!
Take a 2.5+kg Pork Shoulder and remove the skin and fat (make pork crackling from the skin or discard depending). Place meat in a roasting tray.
Mix together
- 3tbsp paprika
- 3tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
- 1tbsp dry mustard
Rub the mixture all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate over night.
The next day pour some cider or apple juice in the bottom of the roasting tray to max of 1 cm depth (aim is to add some moisture but not too much), cover and tightly seal with silver foil, and cook the pork in oven at 150C (max) for about 6 hours.
Take a 2.5+kg Pork Shoulder and remove the skin and fat (make pork crackling from the skin or discard depending). Place meat in a roasting tray.
Mix together
- 3tbsp paprika
- 3tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp dark brown soft sugar
- 1tbsp dry mustard
Rub the mixture all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate over night.
The next day pour some cider or apple juice in the bottom of the roasting tray to max of 1 cm depth (aim is to add some moisture but not too much), cover and tightly seal with silver foil, and cook the pork in oven at 150C (max) for about 6 hours.
If cooking in slow cooker there’s no need to add any liquid.
The BBQ sauce
70ml cider vinegar
150ml Dijon mustard
100 ml tomato ketchup
75g soft dark brown sugar
2 crushed garlic cloves
1tsp cayenne pepper
0.5tsp ground pepper
Combine all ingredients. Bring to simmer and stir until sugar dissolved. Taste and adjust (eg add more vinegar) if required. Take off heat
When meat is done transfer onto a warm plate or another pan, cover and keep warm. Stir/scrape the residual juices in the roasting pan to combine and add to the BBQ sauce. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes.
After this time 'pull' the pork, ie shred, using a couple of forks. Pour half of the BBQ sauce over it and toss to combine. Serve the pulled pork with buns and coleslaw and the rest of the BBQ sauce in a jug for those who want more.
Repeated the above for Open Gardens post event bbq on 4th August 2013. Wasn't sure how many I was cooking for so used about 6kg of pork (combination of shoulder and leg), 1x30g jar of garlic salt, 1 of paprika and guesstimated the sugar and mustard powder. Some left over and now in freezer for another time.
The BBQ sauce
70ml cider vinegar
150ml Dijon mustard
100 ml tomato ketchup
75g soft dark brown sugar
2 crushed garlic cloves
1tsp cayenne pepper
0.5tsp ground pepper
Combine all ingredients. Bring to simmer and stir until sugar dissolved. Taste and adjust (eg add more vinegar) if required. Take off heat
When meat is done transfer onto a warm plate or another pan, cover and keep warm. Stir/scrape the residual juices in the roasting pan to combine and add to the BBQ sauce. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes.
After this time 'pull' the pork, ie shred, using a couple of forks. Pour half of the BBQ sauce over it and toss to combine. Serve the pulled pork with buns and coleslaw and the rest of the BBQ sauce in a jug for those who want more.
Repeated the above for Open Gardens post event bbq on 4th August 2013. Wasn't sure how many I was cooking for so used about 6kg of pork (combination of shoulder and leg), 1x30g jar of garlic salt, 1 of paprika and guesstimated the sugar and mustard powder. Some left over and now in freezer for another time.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Lamb and Olive, Chickpeas and spinach with honeyed sweet potato
Naomi is 51!! Rather than go out for lunch on Sunday a group of us celebrated here with a morrocan based main course followed by limoncello plum tart and very rich chocolate torte for those who had room afterwards curtesy of Jane MH.
Lamb, Olive and Caramelised Onion Tagine
Nigella Lawsons Lamb, olive and caramelised onion tagine was made using 3-4 sliced red onions gently fried in olive oil with a couple of teaspoons of sugar added once the onions are soft rather than the jar that Nigella has in her list of ingrediants.
Along with the honeyed sweet potato and chickpea dish below this was served with
Chickpeas and spinach with honeyed sweet potato
Not sure who was the original creator of this recipe. There are a number of similar recipes on the internet. The below is based on photocopy given to me by a chum with slight variations (as normal!).
500g sweet potatoes peeled and sliced 2.5cm thick pieces
700ml water
50g butter
4tbsp honey
salt
400g tin chickpeas, drained
2bsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1tbsp tomato puree
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1tsp sugar
1.5 tsp ground cumin
100g baby spinach
Put sweet potatoes, water, butter, honey with pinch of salt into wide saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until sweet potato is close to tender. If there is large amount of liquid (which there always is for me) remove sweet potato with a slotted spoon and reduce the liquid to a sticky consistancy. Gently turn sweet potato back into sauce and keep warm.
In the meantime/in parallel - fry onion and seeds in oil until onion is golden brown. Add tomatao puree and cook for a minute stirring constantly. Add tinned toms sugar and ground cumin. Cook for 5 mins on medium heat then add spinach and chick peeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 mins and then check and adjust seasoning.
Serve with the sweet potatoe slices arranged on top of the chickpea and spinach mixture. Decorate with some coriander leaves
Now to find out which recipe Jane used for the limoncello and plum tart!
Lamb, Olive and Caramelised Onion Tagine
Nigella Lawsons Lamb, olive and caramelised onion tagine was made using 3-4 sliced red onions gently fried in olive oil with a couple of teaspoons of sugar added once the onions are soft rather than the jar that Nigella has in her list of ingrediants.
Along with the honeyed sweet potato and chickpea dish below this was served with
- a pile of couscous that had a large handful of coriander, chopped, and seeds from large pomegranate stirred through it
- bowl of greek yoghurt that had crushed clove garlic and half teaspoon of dried oregenao mixed into it and olive oil drizzled over it.
Chickpeas and spinach with honeyed sweet potato
Not sure who was the original creator of this recipe. There are a number of similar recipes on the internet. The below is based on photocopy given to me by a chum with slight variations (as normal!).
500g sweet potatoes peeled and sliced 2.5cm thick pieces
700ml water
50g butter
4tbsp honey
salt
400g tin chickpeas, drained
2bsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1tbsp tomato puree
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1tsp sugar
1.5 tsp ground cumin
100g baby spinach
Put sweet potatoes, water, butter, honey with pinch of salt into wide saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until sweet potato is close to tender. If there is large amount of liquid (which there always is for me) remove sweet potato with a slotted spoon and reduce the liquid to a sticky consistancy. Gently turn sweet potato back into sauce and keep warm.
In the meantime/in parallel - fry onion and seeds in oil until onion is golden brown. Add tomatao puree and cook for a minute stirring constantly. Add tinned toms sugar and ground cumin. Cook for 5 mins on medium heat then add spinach and chick peeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 mins and then check and adjust seasoning.
Serve with the sweet potatoe slices arranged on top of the chickpea and spinach mixture. Decorate with some coriander leaves
Now to find out which recipe Jane used for the limoncello and plum tart!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Moroccan Chicken and Olives
Lunch in the garden in the sun (yes some actual sun) with friends yesterday. A day later and I am writing this in front of the first log fire of autumn. Don't think I would have moved far today even if it was sunny again as we declared the early start of celebrations for a certain birthday yesterday evening and enjoyed, between two of us, the best bottle of red wine we've had this year - a 2004 premiere cru Chateau Sant Augustin from Tunisia. Thank you Wilma and Paul! ..... I probably should add that we did also treat ourselves to a prefectly cooked, aged piece of fillet beef to accompany the wine.
Based on this recipe from Jenny Morris the below was enough for 6 adults with not much left over. Serve on a bed of plain cous cous and a green salad. A simple Balsamic and olive oil salad dressing did give a needed hint of sweetness.
4 packs of skinned, boned, chicken thigh (between 16 and 20 actual thighs) cut into large bite size chunks and season well with pepper
2 inches fresh ginger finely chopped
8 cloves garlic roughly chopped (NOT crushed)
2 bunches of spring onions, including tops, cut into shortish lengths (I'm talking cutting into four the short thin spring onions we get in the UK - otherwise roughly chop about 8)
330g jar of pitted green olives in brine drained and halved.
2 medium sized preserved lemons finely chopped (I used 3, and should have used 4, from the jar I had. Think about the size of fresh lemons and guage from there)
2 oz butter and 2 tbsp rapeseed oil cold pressed if you have it
Herbs - chopped:
4 tbsps fresh coriander
4 tbsps flat-leaf parsley
4 tbsps dill (or 3 tbsps fennel leaves)
4 tbsps mint
4 tbsps chives
4 tbsps basil
Fry the chicken thighs in oil in batches - 5 minutes for each batch. For the last two batches include the ginger and garlic.[Put each cooked batch into a large pan, or flame proof casserole dish, that is on a low heat]
Turn up the heat under the pan with the chicken in it and add the spring onions, olives, preserved lemon, butter and oil. Cook for a further 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Stit in the herbs, remove from the heat and leave for 5 minutes for the flavours of the herbs to infuse This happens to be the amount of time it takes to prepare the cous-cous. More than 5 minutes will not harm by any means!
Serve on a bed of plain cous cous and a green salad. From my point of view, a simple Balsamic and olive oil salad dressing did give a needed hint of sweetness.
Based on this recipe from Jenny Morris the below was enough for 6 adults with not much left over. Serve on a bed of plain cous cous and a green salad. A simple Balsamic and olive oil salad dressing did give a needed hint of sweetness.
4 packs of skinned, boned, chicken thigh (between 16 and 20 actual thighs) cut into large bite size chunks and season well with pepper
2 inches fresh ginger finely chopped
8 cloves garlic roughly chopped (NOT crushed)
2 bunches of spring onions, including tops, cut into shortish lengths (I'm talking cutting into four the short thin spring onions we get in the UK - otherwise roughly chop about 8)
330g jar of pitted green olives in brine drained and halved.
2 medium sized preserved lemons finely chopped (I used 3, and should have used 4, from the jar I had. Think about the size of fresh lemons and guage from there)
2 oz butter and 2 tbsp rapeseed oil cold pressed if you have it
Herbs - chopped:
Fry the chicken thighs in oil in batches - 5 minutes for each batch. For the last two batches include the ginger and garlic.[Put each cooked batch into a large pan, or flame proof casserole dish, that is on a low heat]
Turn up the heat under the pan with the chicken in it and add the spring onions, olives, preserved lemon, butter and oil. Cook for a further 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Stit in the herbs, remove from the heat and leave for 5 minutes for the flavours of the herbs to infuse This happens to be the amount of time it takes to prepare the cous-cous. More than 5 minutes will not harm by any means!
Serve on a bed of plain cous cous and a green salad. From my point of view, a simple Balsamic and olive oil salad dressing did give a needed hint of sweetness.
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Broad bean and feta salad
A recipe from one of my best friends Naomi. The last bits of this salad were fought over at the post Open Gardens bbq in July! You can halve quantities if you want but would only recommend doing so for less than 4 people. But that is from view point of someone who would eat this salad on its own every day:)
Put 2 bags of frozen broad beans into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for one minute and drain. Remove outer skin from each of the beans suggest you delegate this or have a good film to watch whilst doing this. Rinse shelled beans in cold water.
Add large handful of chopped fresh mint
Optionally - add one finely chopped small red onion
Mix in a block of feta cheese that has been chopped into small cubes
Mix together 2tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp white wine vinegar, juice of one lemon and freshly ground pepper. Add to the other ingredients.
Chill and serve
Put 2 bags of frozen broad beans into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for one minute and drain. Remove outer skin from each of the beans suggest you delegate this or have a good film to watch whilst doing this. Rinse shelled beans in cold water.
Add large handful of chopped fresh mint
Optionally - add one finely chopped small red onion
Mix in a block of feta cheese that has been chopped into small cubes
Mix together 2tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp white wine vinegar, juice of one lemon and freshly ground pepper. Add to the other ingredients.
Chill and serve
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