Category Archives: Recipe

So, What Happened To Blog Off Post 2?

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I realized the rules called for an original recipe and the curry recipe I used isn’t mine. It belongs to the BBC.

But I’ll tell you about using the Gourmet Garden herbs to make it anyway. Just without pictures or the recipe. Okay?

So I used the chilli, garlic and ginger for this recipe.

Once again, it made no difference to the taste, but in this case did help in the prep, sort of.

I say sort of because I do hate slicing chillies, so that was a plus. However, the recipe calls for a 1cm piece of fresh ginger. Gourmet Gardens instructions on the pack say a teaspoon of their’s equals a teaspoon of ginger. Yeah. That doesn’t help.

In fact, all recipes I have ever seen that use fresh ginger, measure it by size of piece, not teaspoons or tablespoons.

So I’m obviously not going to win this competition, since I am hardly recommending the products…

Once again, Gourmet Garden have sent me various herbs to test. I have accepted no money to do these tests. All I get is an entry to their contest and the possibility of winning a trip to Oz. All views are mine.

Gourmet Garden – Blog Off – Recipe One – Veggie Lasagne

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Yes, that’s right, gentle reader. I’ve entered a contest. Not just a contest. A cooking contest.

I learned of this contest through the Mumsnet Bloggers Network. It is being sponsored by Gourmet Garden, who make a range of herbs and spices in tubes for ease of use, or something like that.

The truth is, I had never even heard of them until the contest was highlighted on Mumsnet. I never use such things as I prefer to use my herbs unadulterated and they mix them with…things. But I figured, hey, what the heck? Could win a trip to Oz!

So tonight I tried them for the first time.

Lasagne was already on the menu for the week, so I just substituted my regular garlic and basil for these:

Garlic and basil

Garlic and basil.

My recipe is a vegetarian one, usually made with either courgette (zucchini in the US) or aubergine (eggplant in the US). Tonight’s had both, as the aubergine sent in my grocery order was very small and I couldn’t get another one today in town.

Aubergine and Courgette

Aubergine and courgette, ready to go under the grill.

So, the recipe:

1 T Olive Oil
Black Pepper
3 T Lemon Juice (about 2 lemons)
3 Courgettes or 1 Aubergine, sliced
1/2 C Breadcrumbs
3 T Parmesan
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped (substituted 2 t Gourmet Garden Garlic)
1/2 C Tomato Purée
2 T White Wine
1 t Oregano
1 t Basil (substituted 1 t Gourmet Garden Basil)
Pinch Cayenne
4 Sheets Lasagne
6 Oz Ricotta
1 Ball Mozzarella, Sliced
2 cartons Passatta

The Ingredients

What goes in lasagne. Camera shy: Wine and Passatta

Combine olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Brush over courgette/aubergine and cook under broiler until done, about 5 or 6 minutes a side.

Combine bread crumbs and parmesan in a bowl and reserve.

Sauté onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Onion and Gourmet Garden Garlic

Onion and Gourmet Garden Garlic.

Add Passatta, spices, wine and tomato purée. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Gourmet Garden Basil

Gourmet Garden Basil

Layer the lasagne:

1/3 sauce
2 sheets lasagne
1/2 breadcrumbs mixture
Veg
Ricotta
and repeat

Top with slices of mozzarella.

Bake in 190 C oven for 45 – 60 minutes.

The finished lasagne

TA DA! Lasagne.

So, what did I think? Eh. It made no difference in the taste to use the stuff in the tubes versus doing it myself. Maybe it saved me 2 minutes with the garlic, but since I chop my onions and garlic in my mini-chopper, it doesn’t make much difference.

During the coming week I am making my curry. I’ll see if they sent me anything for that and do another post.

Gourmet Garden have sent me various herbs to test. I have accepted no money to do these tests. All I get is an entry to their contest and the possibility of winning a trip to Oz. All views are mine.

Pie!

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The Last Pie.

So if you follow me on Twitter you may have seen this:

Which is a pie that I made.

So tonight I did it again. And took pictures.

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Veggie Tables.

To make my chicken pie, which is made with leftover chicken. Or turkey. Or, in tonight’s case, chicken and ham…anyway, to make it you start with some vegetables.

Tonight I had a swede (That’s turnip to those of you in the US. Or maybe rutabaga. Not sure), some carrots, potatoes, a parsnip and some leftover green beans. I also used a small onion and about four cloves of garlic. All of that, except the potatoes, was thrown in the food processor with some sage and made into a rough medium to small cut. Different sizes is good because texture is good! The potatoes I just cut into small chunks.

The chicken I used was leftover from one I made in the slow cooker on Monday. If you’ve never made a whole chicken in the slow cooker, give it a go. Just shove it on there with four or five halved and squeezed lemons with one or two shoved inside the cavity of the bird, bung the lid on and cook for around 10 hours on low. So.Very.Good. And even better?

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Solid Stock. Really.

The stock you get. The chicken fat just all melts and combines with the lemon juice and the chicken juices to make this incredible stock. You can try making gravy with it but gravy is the one cooking nemesis I am still working on, so I save it instead and threw it in the ‘fridge to use in the pie.

I took it out of the ‘fridge and removed all the congealed fat and brought it to a boil. Once it was boiling I added the veg and potatoes and turned it down to medium low. I let it simmer for about two hours, until all of the vegetables were tender and there was a thickish sauce.

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Now with added cream.

I then added some single cream (which is just, well, cream, in the US) and cooked it another 10 minutes with the lid off.

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Meat! (And beans.)

While I was letting that simmer and heating the oven (200C, that’s something or other F. Use Google.) I layered the bottom of my pie tin (Don’t you love this tin? So old fashion. Lakeland. I love them.) with the ham (which, by the way, was also made in the slow cooker. On Sunday. Ham in Coke. Let me know if you want the recipe), chicken and green beans.

Now I have a confession to make. I don’t make pastry. Ever. I buy it. Always.

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Store bought. Don’t judge me.

See?

Do you want to know why I buy my pastry? Do you? Because Angela Hartnett told me to in a recipe of her’s I use. If it’s good enough for her? It’s certainly good enough for me.

Anyway, after the veg is finished cooking, it is poured over the meat in the bottom of the tin. Then I egg wash the edges of the tin and place a strip of the pastry along it. Then I egg wash the strip and place the rest of the pastry on top, trim the edges, make a cross in the top and shallow cuts along the sides (This makes the pastry puff up more) and then egg wash the whole thing.

Place in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes and you get…

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TA DA! Okay, a bit burnt. Again…don’t judge me.

It was delicious. Again.

Poultry pie. Nailed it.

Thanksgiving 2011

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Since Simon does not have the Thursday of Thanksgiving off, obviously, as usual I am making us Thanksgiving dinner on the Saturday. I had planned to invite Simon’s parents to join us but, alas, they are in India, so it’s just Simon, Adam and me this year.

The menu? Turkey, stuffing, gravy, roasted seasonal vegetable, mash potatoes, chocolate tarts for pudding.

I had originally ordered a whole frozen turkey to be delivered from Tesco with the rest of my shopping but, again alas, isn’t wasn’t actually in stock. I was going to make a whole turkey for just the 3 of us and then use the leftovers to make turkey soup, ready for the hoards descending at Christmas. I think I will make soup, but chicken soup, in the coming weeks, instead.

So I went to Marks and Spencer’s instead and got this:

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This is not the turkey I was hoping for.

So instead of a lovely large bird roasting, I threw a tin in the oven. *sigh*

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The cast of characters. Camera shy: swede.

My roast seasonal vegetables, however, are one of my specialities. And one that has never gone wrong.

 

As I am a cheapskate frugal I tend to order or buy the Tesco veg pack. It can be a bit of a crap shoot but it usually has at least a few carrots and some parsnips. Today mine had 4 carrots, a swede, 2 small onion, a leek and 2 parsnips. Not bad for about £1.99. I added two red onions.

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With sauce!

I then coat it with a combination of oil, balsamic vinegar and many herbs. Also know as vinaigrette dressing. 🙂

 

 

 

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You've all see raw potatoes, I'm sure.

I was also making mash and above you can see the potatoes in the pan.

 

A plate of food.

I will confess the stuffing was Paxo, the gravy was Bisto and the tarts, which I haven’t taken a picture of, were from the Christmas Market at City Hall.

Overall it was a delicious meal. I don’t really like Paxo stuffing, but it was okay.

Next big meal is, of course, Christmas. That will be 99% homemade, as I am not attempting a Christmas Pudding, but the rest I will  make with my own two hands.

For 5 adults. And 1 child. With one oven. And very little counter space.

Wish me luck!

Eating American…With A Twist

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As always we started the week with a meal plan:

Monday: hamburgers
Tuesday: fajitas
Wednesday: stir fry
Thursday: meatloaf
Friday: fried chicken

On Thursday our meal plan came to a screeching halt when we found ourselves in A&E because Adam was throwing up blood. By the time we got home and him into bed, all we wanted was pizza.

So Thursday’s meatloaf became Friday’s and Saturday became fried chicken, corn on the cob and champ.

Very American, except the champ, which is native to Northern Ireland.

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Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is, of course, native to the American South. This is a recipe I made up myself one day when I realized I forgot to buy eggs, since I used to dredge in egg and flour and fry. Now it’s a bit more complicated. But not really. 🙂

One chicken breast per person
3 or 4 heaped tablespoons flour
Mixed spices, whatever you like. We like a bit of spice so I use chilli powder and cayenne pepper.
Salt and Pepper
Water
Vegetable oil

Cut chicken into chunks.

Combine flour, spices, salt and pepper. Add enough water to make it liquid, but not runny. Coat chicken in batter.

Heat abut an inch of oil. Fry chicken until golden.

Eat!

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Champ (Sorry about the picture. Now you know why I rarely photograph food!)
(And, yes, that’s Adam’s plate. My regular plates do not teach a person how to count)
Champ is a Northern Irish dish. It is mashed potatoes with spring onion. You may call them salad onions or scallions.

500 grams potatoes, any sort. I usually use new potatoes because I hate peeling!
100 ml milk
10 grams butter/marg
5 – 6 spring onions, trimmed and cut into teeny tiny pieces.

Cook the potatoes until done. Drain and set aside.

Into the pot heat the milk with the butter and the spring onions until the milk tastes oniony.

Mash it all together. I usually do that in my food processor so the spring onions get even smaller.

Eat!

I have a feeling y’all know how to make corn on the cob. 🙂

I Just Want To Put Here

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For the record that Sheppard’s Pie made with leftover lamb and veg is not as nice as made from raw and slow cooked. It was edible and had fresh mash but it just wasn’t the same.

In other news, we haven’t found a new place to live yet but our landlord is being incredible and not only letting us go month to month starting in August but is also slightly reducing our rent. He’s also agreed to reduce it further if we decide a new place is just not available and we agree to sign at least a 6 month lease.

In other, other news even if we don’t move we are having a massive clear out. Our hope is to lose at least one bookcase and to get rid of all of Adam’s baby stuff. *sniff*.

Which reminds me. Look who can drink out of a cup: –

Look at MEEE!!!!

And Now – Shepherd’s Pie

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First of all, mom, I made paella for you when we lived in the old flat. But I’ll make it again!

Shepherd’s Pie

Freely adapted from James Martin’s recipe. He is, after all, my cooking boyfriend. Please note that Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. The pie made with beef is Cottage Pie.  Have you ever seen a Shepherd herd a cow? I think not.

Serves 4

600 grams lamb. I like to buy a shoulder and cut it into chunks
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1 swede (also known as rutabaga in the US)
1 T flour
2 T rosemary
2 cups lamb stock (you can use chicken or vegetable if you can’t get lamb)
2 T tomato puree

Topping
Mashed potatoes made however you like them. I use about 600 grams of potatoes to cover the pie
Shredded cheddar cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

Place the vegetables, flour and rosemary in the food processor until finely chopped. Put into an oven proof dish that has a good lid and spread the chunks of lamb on top.  Place over a medium heat on the stove top and pour the liquid into it, stirring it in. Bring to the boil, cover and put into a 150 c oven for 2 hours or until the lamb is cooked and most of the liquid is gone.

Remove the veg and lamb from that pan, draining any liquid left, and place in a casserole. Top with mash and cheese.

Return to the oven at 170 c for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Eat.

🙂

As Requested – Paella

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Shepherd’s Pie was also requested but I’ll do that another day!

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 T olive oil
1 red pepper
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 T smoked paprika
1 chicken breast
big hunk of chorizo Sausage, or if you don’t like chorizo, double the chicken breast
12 oz arbarito/paella rice
1/2 cup white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
10 baby plum tomatoes
Mixed seafood (note: in the UK you can buy packs of precooked mixed seafood with prawns, mussels and squid. If you can’t get those in the US then you can just add pre-cook prawns or you can cook the seafood yourself! It needs to go into the dish already cook, however. It just gets warmed up in the paella)

Method:

In a food processor, chop pepper, onion and garlic until medium dice. Add to frying pan with olive oil and cook until just soft. Add paprika and cook another minute or two.

Meanwhile cut the chicken and the chorizo, if using, into chunks. Once the paprika has been incorporated, add the meat to the pan and cook until brown.

Add the rice and the wine and stir, cooking until the wine is absorbed. After the rice has absorbed the wine add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the rice is just al dente and all or most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add the tomatoes, which have been cut in half or quarters, depending on size, and the seafood and cook a further 10 minutes or until heated through and the tomatoes are soft.

Serve immediately.

This Isn’t A Cooking Blog

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Any more than it is a Mummy Blog. It’s just a blog.

So I don’t really write about what I cook. And I do cook. Daily. And mostly from scratch.

What do I cook?

Well, tonight it is Macaroni and Cheese and salad. Not combined, you understand. The salad is on the side.

Last night it was left over stew that I made on Sunday. I like things that we can eat over two nights. Especially on Monday’s as Simon gets home late from work and Adam is at daycare all day.

Tomorrow I am not cooking as I am off at a video shoot so Simon is making himself and Adam some pasta. Simon only cooks a few things.

Thursday I am cheating and we are having frozen battered scampi and chips. I am cheating because I have to process the videos from Wednesday night’s shoot all morning and then have a training class in the afternoon so no time to do more than throw something in the oven.  We’ll have peas with it.

Friday I don’t know what I am cooking as Adam and I are off to St George’s Market to pick out some fish. And I think local peas are  coming into season soon. Yum.

I do menu plan, weekly, for shopping on Tuesday. I have no idea when it started to be Tuesdays. I think it might have been from back in our old flat where we had a very tiny fridge that only held about 3 days of food. So we’d get food in on Saturday to last through Monday and then get groceries delivered on Monday night.

Then we moved to this flat with a bigger fridge and I started ordering more food on Monday for the whole week. Then Tesco got stupid about delivery and I got more and more pregnant and then went on Maternity Leave with Adam, I started doing Tuesday through Friday shopping on Tuesday.

So now my rallying cry is ‘Grocery shopping. Must be Tuesday!’ (Pauses for laugh from Buffy fans.)

I don’t have a recipe rota or anything. Mostly I say to Simon (and Adam, but he doesn’t contribute much yet) ‘what haven’t we eaten lately?’ and I buy for that.

I do Shepherd’s Pie and Veggie Lasagne.

I do Paella (which Adam doesn’t like) and Fajitas.

I do Goulash and Turkish Lamb Stew.

And many many other things.

Anyone want any recipes?

So Fridays

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unless we have something else to do, Adam and I head to St George’s for the indoor Farmer’s Market.  We mostly go to buy fish, as its the only time there’s a decent fish monger at City Centre, but we also pursue the veg, just to see if there’s anything interesting.

The plan today was tuna, which I would then put under the grill with a mustard/mayo sauce and serve with the fresh local peas also purchased at St George’s today.  Except the tuna was £19.50 a kilo and looked a little off.

So instead I bought cod.  And am in the middle, right now, as we speak, of making Fish Stew.

This is a recipe that I acquire from my father in law.  He makes it much much better than I do, although Simon says mine is okay.  His is probably much better because I replace the 6 tablespoons of olive oil he cooks the fish in with fish stock. 🙂

The recipe:

500g firm white fish, like cod

2 cloves garlic

5 tomatoes

500g white mushrooms, sliced or quartered, depending on your mood

6 T plus Fish stock or olive oil

parsley

6 oz single cream

Clean and debone the fish.  It helps to have a pin boner for this.  I love my gadgets.

Cook at 200 C for 15 minutes in 6 T fish stock.

Turn oven down to 180 C and continue to cook, checking on moistness of fish frequently.  Add more stock as needed.

Meanwhile, deseed the tomatoes and cook in a bit of olive oil until mushy.  Peel off the skins and discard.

Add the garlic, mushrooms and parsley.

When the fish is cooked, add the cream to the pan and stir to combine.

Pour over fish and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Its loverly. 🙂