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

Green Tomato Banana Chutney

1kg green tomatoes - chopped (original recipe has them peeled as well)
1kg windfall apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1kg onions - chopped
1kg sultanas - chopped
1.5 litres malt vinegar (3 litres in total)

Put all of these ingredients into a stainless steel pan and cook until just soft.

1kg bananas - peeled and chopped
500g crystallised ginger - chopped
1350g (3lb) soft brown sugar
4tbsp sea salt

Add these ingredients to the pan along with another 1.5 litres of malt vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until the chutney is smooth and thick. Pot. Seal when cold.

Halloumi with tomatoes and sesame seeds

I originally made this from a recipe from Anna Jones as published in the Sunday Times. Lost the paper copy and have made number of my own variants  in the interim. Have just found the paper copy! Below combines my variants and some of the yummy bits I have missed from Anna.

Cut two 250g packs of Hammoumi cheese into 2cm chunks. Put in bowl with 250g cherry tomatoes, 1tbsp sumac, zest of lime, half the juice of the lime (the rest will be used later) and 2tbsp sesame seeds. Carefully/gently mix so that the cheese and tomatoes are covered with the other ingredients. Leave for at least 30 minutes.

Cooking options:

• if for a BBQ then thread onto skewers and cook for about 2 minutes per side. 
• Otherwise put on a baking tray in loose single layer under grill turning after two minutes.

To serve options:
In flatbreads for definite.

• 2 tbsp tahini with crushed clove of garlic whisked with water to form loose paste. Shredded lettuce and oregano and yoghurt. Or
• Onion and pomegranate along with harissa, tahini and lime yoghurt. Shredded salad leaves and some oregano as well.

• Fry 2 finely sliced red onions gently in a bit of olive oil with pinch of sea salt. When soft add 2tbsp pomegranate molasses and cook for a further minute.

• Loosely stir in 1tsp rose harissa, 2tbsp tahini and the rest of the lime juice into 6 tbsp natural yoghurt

Spelt yoghurt flatbreads

Good with many fillings. Halloumi with lime and sumac being but one

In food processor pulse together 200g white spelt flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 200g natural yoghurt until it forms a ball.

Tip out onto floured surface and knead just to bring it together. Cover with damp cloth and leave to rise whilst heating a griddle pan.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each to 3mm ish thick rounds. Cook each for 1-2 mins on each side until puffed and lightly charred.

Note - If have more time to spend over griddle pan: 500g flour and yoghurt plus 1tbsp baking powder makes 12 slightly smaller flatbreads. Can be frozen! Defrost/reheat in microwave