Chicken and Leek pie

October 31, 2021

800g chicken thighs
1/2  or 1 chopped onion
2 Bay leaves (optional)
course ground pepper
Simmered in milk to mins

Sauteed Squares of bacon
2 sliced washed leeks
1 Tablespoon flour, more if needed
Stir till creamy 2 mins

Add chopped chicken and strained milk with
1 tablespoon mustard or Marmite or worsteshire sauce
Season as required

Lay on cut greaseproof paper on baking tray
Lay on sheet of all butter pastry
Lay on filling
Brush egg all around edge of patry to seal on top layer
Lay on top layer and crimp to seal
Score 3 holes to reach steam
Glaze w beaten egg
Grate on parmesan cheese

Variation :  PORK and APPLE pie, saute pork chunks covered in flour in oil and butter, then add paprika, chopped onions, warmed milk, cubed bramley apple, and leeks, seasoning etc

Bake 200c for 30 – 35 mins

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Anitas Pizza – May 2022

March 16, 2021

Best one yet!

Makes a large whole meal rectangular pepperoni pizza with all the trimmings

 

FOR THE TOPPINGS

  • Pizza sauce – about 1/2 small jar
  • Grated cheddar, grated parmesan – mixed together
  • Mozzarella – cut into chunks and seasoned with pepper and oregano and topped lightly with olive oil
  • Sliced shallots and sliced sweet peppers –  seasoned with pepper and chilli seeds and oregano, partially cook in microwave until softened
  • Pepperoni – sliced
  • Sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • Sliced olives, capers, jalapenos – drained and dabbed dry

FOR THE DOUGH 

Prepare the wet ingredients and the yeast

Sprinkle 3/4 (5.5-6g) of a 7g sachet of dried yeast to the top of the following mixed together – do not stir and leave for a few minutes until the yeast is activated, then stir

  • 1/3 tablespoon golden caster sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 245g luke warm water

Meanwhile weigh out 375g of flour into a large bowl

  • 100g Whole meal Very strong Flour
  • +
  • 275g White Very strong Flour
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the flour and stir in

    1) Make a well in the flour and using a fork add the yeast mixture into the center

    2) Work in flour (with salt) with a fork from the edges into the center, then hands,, until a mass of dough is formed

    3) Relax the dough for 5 mins before kneading to absorb the liquids a little more

    4)Tip out onto a clean dry worktop and clean the bowl ready for proving the dough

    5) Knead for 10mins, rest a couple of times to relax gluten,

  • If the dough tears before it gets smooth let it relax for 3 minutes
  • Clean and dry worktop if it feels tacky
  • Using slightly dampened hands continue to knead and repeat cleanups until
  • Until dough is nice and smooth and springy

6) start the Rise,  for 40-60 mins in warmer, covered with cling film,  in medium bowl to allow dough to double in size ( or at room temperature if longer is needed before baking) 

7) at 30 mins since prooving started,  pre-Heat oven 250C with stone for at least 30mins ( gets smoky in there so open oven when hot with care)

8) at 50 mins since proving started, Roll out dough on greaseproof paper –  Stretch and roll out the dough into a rectangle, trying to leave the edges a little thicker, by pinching edges like pastry, to avoid over spill of toppings during baking, leave to rise a bit more while preparing the toppings.

    • If dough is too tight to roll, leave for a couple of minutes to relax, then continue to shape out
    • Rest for further 10 to 20 mins until oven ready, and toppings prepared for loading

9) Add the toppings in the following order, LEAVING STONE IN OVEN

    1. Pizza sauce, spooned on thinly, spread with the back of the  spoon – it will begin to dry as the dough starts to cook on the stone, that’s fine, add a little more sauce, but don’t make it really wet
    2. Mozzarella slices – ADD
    3. Sliced sun dried tomatoes – ADD
    4. Capers  – ADD
    5. Pepperoni – ADD
    6. Olives, Jalapeños- ADD
    7. Grated cheese ADD

10) When oven and stone heated, remove stone, drag oven ready Pizza onto stone, and leave on stone for 3 minutes before putting in oven, to get a really crispy base (without burning topping during baking)

11) Bake at 250 for 10mins, remove as soon as crust is golden * it turns dark Very quickly after 10mins

12) Allow to stand for 5 mins before cutting and serving –

 WARNING: HOT CHEESE BURNS MOUTH

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2020 Christmas turkey

December 31, 2020

Prep the night before

  1. veg for baking tray : giblets, rosemary, chunky carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, shallot, 2 satsumas/clementines halved etc
  2. + two large shallots and onion and garlic for cavity, bag and chill overnight
  3. Parboil 9 about 20 mins
    • 2 large Parsnips halved (lengthwise)-unpeeled,
    • 3 baking potatoes, cut into flat chunks
    • 2 sweet potatoes,
    • and 3-4 carrots cut into 2 or 3 chunks
    • Cover and chill overnight
  4. make stuffing and fill loaf tin add butter on top and chill overnight

Xmas day

  1. remove turkey from fridge 2 hours before cooking
  2. Partially Bake veg at 180 (160 fan oven) for 1 hour
    • Bake Carrots in olive oil and clementine juice
    • Bake potatoes rolled in Goose fat, paprika and a little flour + more goose fat in tray, and drain off excess when baked
    • Bake parsnips in butter with a splash of red wine vinegar
  3. MEANWHILE: 
  4. Make stuffing for turkey shoulder
  5. Make cheese sauce
  6. Prepare Turkey 
    •  season, rub on olive oil,
    • arrange 4 pieces of bacon on top
    • arrange 1 piece of bacon on to each leg
    • fill main cavity with shallot carrot and garlic bulb
    • empty veg into baking tray and arrange turkey on top
    • fill turkey shoulder cavity with stuffing and fold skin down well
    • place turkey onto veg in baking tray
    • insert popup
  7. Bake turkey 7+kg for total of  2.5 hours – it popped up at just over 2 1/4 hours, and baked further for 10mins.
    • 1 hour at 180 in fan oven 
    • covered with a small rectangle of foil as bacon had slipped off at 1 hour
    • then for a further 1.15 hour at 160 in fan oven – popper still down
    • then for a further 15 minutes and it had popped.
    • removed turkey from oven placed it in to a different baking tray
    • covered with foil and tea towels
  8. RE- Bake potatoes, carrots parsnips and stuffing for 20 mins
  9. make gravy

For the Gravy

  1. From the tray the turkey was baked in skim off the fat
  2. sprinkle with flour and mix well
  3. place the mixture into a big saucepan and heat and add red wine 
  4. add 1 litre of stock (1 pint not enough in 2020)
  5. mash it all up, 
  6. Sieve it
  7. put cauliflower on to boil for 20mins max
  8. Bring gravy to the boil, season to taste and simmer until baked veg are ready (for 20 mins)
  9. Heat cheese sauce
  10. Make bread sauce
  11. dish out cranberry sauce
  12. Set table with napkins

 

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Lamb – Rack of Lamb with Pistachio Crust and Luxurious Potato Al Forno

February 10, 2017

Just watched this on TV and just must try this soon as back in Maui, as we just adore rack of lamb. So must try this! (ingredients imbedded in recipe)

Into a large pan 3 bayleaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
8! cloves of crushed garlic – I think 4-5
6 anchovies for deep flavour
600ml milk
400 ml cream – Season

bring to boil just to infuse –
fish out bay leaves and rosemary – add 50g grated parmesan

Then Add add to infusion

1kilo potatoes finely slicked –
2 bulbs of fennel -same
2 onion thinly sliced – mix, then pack down…
Layer last row of potatoes on top… (wet)
Cover with foil 180C/350F for half hour..

Then prepare lamb. Remove trim all fat…. 2 rack of lamb for four

Olive oil and butter in pan and season
Just sear until golden but still raw inside – set aside.

Blend for crumb mixture :
100g pistachios
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
75g bread chunks
2 cloves garlic
Grate in ½ nutmeg (or a little less perhaps).
Whiz in food processor

Coat lamb very generously with Dijon mustard
Heap on crumb mix and pat/ press down hard to form a crust

After 30 mins remove potatoes from oven
Top with more Grated parmesan if you want to.
Continue to bake for 45 minutes without foil

After 10 mins put lamb in oven for 25 mins and then remove after 25 minutes.. Rest lamb for 10 minutes then both ready at the same time

Serve one rack sliced and the other whole on a board.
Garnish potatoes with chopped fennel top

Side order of green beans perhaps…

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Fish Bake with Mashed Potato topping

April 8, 2014

This is a dish that can be prepared the day before.Fish Bake

All you have to do on the day is put it into a pre-heated oven about 45 minutes before serving and make the side dishes

I’ve never made fish pie before and this dish is a mixture of a few recipes, from which I picked the best ideas and put them all together.

The only problem I encountered with this pie, is that it could have fed an army of people (at least 8) instead of the four it was intended for. Not a real problem, it was great re-heated and eaten over the next couple of days. This dish I will definitely make again.

Ingredients

  • 1kilo cod
  • 1/2 kilo smoked haddock
  • prawns – cooked and peeled – enough to cover the base of the ovenproof dish.
  • 1 cup of frozen peas
  • fresh spinach (for a thin layer under mashed potato topping)

For poaching the fish

  • 1 litre semi skimmed milk for poaching
  • 2 teaspoons Bullion stock
  • 2 large sprigs of tarragon
  • 1 finely chopped leek or onion
  • teaspoon whole peppercorns

For the White sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • strained juices from poaching fish
  • extra milk if required

Mashed potato with spring onions

Instructions

  1. Heat the poaching ingredients in a large pan
  2. Poach/simmer the fish (in batches if necessary) until opaque (about 6-8 minutes) taking care it doesn’t boil over
  3. Drain the fish well and set aside returning the drained juices to the pan
  4. When all the fish has been poached, strain the poaching juices and pour into a pouring jug
  5. Break the fish into large bite sized chunks
  6. Heat butter in a large pan, stir in the flour
  7. Slowly add the poaching juices stirring all the time, season to taste with extra bullion or salt and pepper
  8. Simmer (still stirring) the white sauce until its gloopy, adding more milk if required
  9. Make the mashed potatoes with spring onions in the microwave – see recipe
  10. Place the cooked, peeled prawns into the base of the oven proof fish pie dish
  11. Add the poached fish by crumbling it over the prawns layering it with the frozen peas
  12. Pour over all the white sauce, and move fish gently to allow the white sauce to sink down to the prawns
  13. Top the sauce with a thin layer of fresh spinach so that when adding the mashed potato to the very top it does not sink into the white sauce
  14. Add the mashed potatoes one spoon full at a time from the outside edges of the dish working inwards
  15. Level the top gently, but rough it up with a fork for texture
  16. cover and chill if preparing this the day before and remove from fridge a few hours before cooking
  17. Preheat oven to 200F
  18. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 40 minutes –  could take an hour if its a deep dish.
  19. Place a baking tray on the lowest rack in case the pie overflows a little
  20. Serve with steamed vegetables

 

 

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Anitas Chicken Goulash – Slow cooked one pot dinner

October 26, 2011

This is a new favorite invention! An easy, and very tasty one pot meal made up of vegetables that are ready  to be used up. Its quick to prepare, and is ready after slow cooking for 6 hours if cooked following the numbered instructions below using a pressure cooker.

If no pressure cooker is available just place the chicken and dried, uncooked lentils into a pre-heated the slow cooker, mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl and heat, covered in a microwave, stirring occasionally until very hot. Pour over the chicken and slow cook for at least 10 hours.

My collections of  Fast n’ Easy recipes and  Slow Cooker recipes on this website are getting bigger and easy to find using the categories on the right .

Ingredients, serves 8 (0r 6 very hungry people)

  • 8 large chicken thighs (on the bone with skin for best flavor)
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 finely chopped habanero chili
  • 1 diced carrot
  • 2 diced parsnip
  • 10 small diced salad potatoes
  • 1 chopped clove of garlic
  • 3 cups red wine
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable boullion powder
  • 1 1/2 to 2 jars of tomato sauce
  • 1 heaped tablespoon paprika
  • 1 level tablespoon Garam Masala spice
  • 2 handfuls of uncooked, dried green lentils
  • 1 -2 teaspoons of coursley ground pepper to taste
  1. Plug in slow cooker to begin heating
  2. Brown half of the chicken pieces in a pressure cooker
  3. Add 2 cups warmed red wine and one tablespoon of Boullion
  4. Add the chopped onion and garlic
  5. Add 1/2 jar of heated sauce
  6. Add lid and raise pressure and cook for 5-8 minutes
  7. Release pressure fast and empty contents into the slow cooker
  8. Place lid on slow cooker and wash pressure cooker
  9. Brown second half of chicken pieces in the pressure cooker
  10. Add 1 cup of warmed red wine and 1/2 tablespoon Boullion
  11. Add 1/2 cup of hot water
  12. Add 1/2 jar of heated sauce to the pressure cooker
  13. Heat the remaining sauce and add to the slow cooker
  14. Add paprika and Garam Masala spice and the finely chopped Habanero  to the pressure cooker
  15. Add two generous handfulls of green lentils  and stir to submerge all the lentils and mix the spices
  16. Add diced carrot, parsnips and potatoes (dont stir)
  17. Add lid and raise pressure and cook for 5 – 8 minutes
  18. Release pressure fast and add contents carefully to the slow cooker
  19. Push any visible chicken thighs down below the surface
  20. And slow cook until the chicken begins to fall off the bone, and the lentils are tender (6 hours or longer)
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Chicken Curry Casserole

October 9, 2011

This recipe is my invention and one for the record so I can make it again exactly the same. It was very tasty and a made in 20minutes from frozen in a pressure cooker. This recipe can be baked in the oven or in a slow cooker too, but if you are in a hurry this is a perfect quick satisfying meal.

Ingredients for 2-3 portions

  • 3 frozen chicken breasts
  • olive oil
  • pepper
  • 5 medium new potatoes, halved
  • 1 mug of  hot vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon of your favorite curry powder (I use a Maui blend *)
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 white wine
  • 1 parsnip, diced small
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 large leak, quatered and sliced
  • 1/2 balti curry sauce (I use Sharwoods)
  • * (spice number 630 from Mana Foods, Paia)
  1. Place the chicken in the microwave and cook for just 1 minute to make it cuttable.
  2. Heat olive oil in the pressure cooker
  3. Dice the chicken into 1/2″ cubes and brown in small batches
  4. Dice onion and add to chicken
  5. Half potatoes and add to pot
  6. Add curry powder to hot stock and add to pot
  7. Add white wine to pot
  8. Add diced parsnip to pot
  9. Add sugar to pot
  10. Stir well until boiling
  11. Add diced carrot and leeks to steamer tray and place into pot
  12. close lid and cook on high for 12 minutes when pressure is on high
  13. Release pressure, open, return pot to heat and stir in Balti sauce
  14. and Serve

 

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Lamb Steaks in Onion and Mint Sauce

September 25, 2011

Cooked in the pressure cooker this meal took less than 30minutes from frozen to serving. The lamb was tender and very tasty. With the vegetables all cooked in the pressure cooker too, this dish is a complete meal, but can be served on Mashed Potatoes instead of adding potatoes into the pot.

Ingredients

  • 4 lamb steaks
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 6 new or salad potatoes, un-peeled and cut into 1/2cm slices
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1/2 small suede, cubed
  • 1-2 tablespoons of mint sauce
  • 1/2 gravy or stock
  • chili if required
  • 1 sprig of fresh sage
  1. Make up the gravy or the stock, with the mint and sage and put into pressure cooker
  2. Place the frozen pieces of lamb into the gravy and cook on second ring for 10-15minutes
  3. Meanwhile, dice the onions, suede, potatoes and carrot
  4. Release pressure quickly when its time
  5. Add all the onions, and half of the remaining vegetables into the stock/gravy
  6. Insert the vegetable tray so that it sits above the lamb and add the remaining vegetables
  7. Bring pressure up to second ring again and cook for 10 further minutes.
  8. Release pressure when done, dish into bowls, and serve with garlic bread or mashed potato if potato not added to the pot

 

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Robins’ Beef in Ale Casserole

September 25, 2011

Thanks Frances and Robin for a fabulous evening last night. I cant wait to make your delicious beef  in Ale Casserole you made for us, thanks also for the recipe. I’m going to adapt your recipe below for my new pressure cooker, then I’ll add my own extra notes to this recipe afterwards.

This recipe serves four.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 700 grams Diced Beef (Waitrose Mini Diced Beef)
  • 2 large onions,  sliced thickly
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 500ml  Strong Pale Ale
  • For the accompaniment
  • 2 tablespoons creamed horseradish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  1. Pre-heat oven to 150C
  2. Using a large ovenproof and flameproof casserole dish with a lid
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and lightly brown the beef in small batches (2-3 for each batch)
  4. Transfer each batch onto a plate and set aside
  5. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the thickly sliced onions
  6. Saute over a low heat for 6-7 minutes until softened
  7. Add the sugar, flour and Balsamic vinegar to the onions and stir over a high heat for 2-3 minutes
  8. Pour the ale over the onions  and stir until it reaches the boil
  9. Add the beef to the the onions
  10. Season to taste
  11. Bake in oven (with lid) for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and the cooking liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency
  12. Stir the  creamed horseradish sauce and the chopped thyme leaves for an accompaniment
  13. Serve with Creamy mashed potato and long stemmed steamed broccoli
Very tasty – Thanks Robin 😉

 

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Chicken thighs with Potatoes and red lentils – Slow Cooker

September 6, 2011

I have made this a few times and vary the vegetables depending on what needs to be used up.. Cooking time is 6-8hours set to High or Auto in a slow cooker. Add extra cooking time if ingredients are chilled.

Ingredients

8-10                        Chicken Thighs (skinned but on the bone is best)
1/2 cup                    Boullion Stock
1/2 cup                    White Wine
1 jar                         Classico Tomato sauce
1/2                           Tomato Passat Sauce
2 tablespoons          Sharwoods Masalla sauce
1/2 cup                    red split lentils
1 tablespoon            Paprika

2                               carrots (cubed)
1                               leek (halved and sliced)
1 dozen                     unpeeled salad potatoes (washed, thickly sliced)
1 sprig                      sage
chilli                         to taste

 

  1. Switch on the Slow cooker
  2. Mix  the lentils, paprika, sauces and chilli in the slow cooker pot
  3. Cube the carrots, slice the pototatoes, half and slice the leeks
  4. Add the vegetables to the sauce mixture and stir well
  5. Add the White wine and Boullion to the mixture and stir
  6. Optional – Heat in the microwave until hot
  7. Place the chicken pieces around the top, pushing them down gently until just showing at the surface
  8. Slow cook for 6+ hours once it reaches cooking temperature
  9. Serve with French Bread to soak up the juices
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Toad in the Hole and Onion Gravy

June 20, 2011

Ingredients 

6 large sausages
1 tablespoon flavorless oil (eg groundnut)

For the Yorkshire pudding batter
75 g plain flour
1 large egg
75 ml semi-skimmed milk
55 ml water
salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Gravy
250 g Onions
2 teaspoons flavorless oil
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 dessertspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 rounded dessertspoon plain flour
1 pintt hot vegetable stock made from Boullion powder

You will also need
1 x 2″ deep roasting tin about 9″ x 6″ for the Toad in the hole
1 baking tray to roast the onions

  1. Turn on the oven to 200C 425F
  2. Place pricked sausages on another baking tray and bake until some fat is released (about 20-25 minutes from a cold oven)
  3. Toss the sliced the onions in the oil and sugar and place on a baking tray
  4. Place on top shelf and bake till edges are blackened (about 20 minutes), turning once
  5. For the batter
  6. Sieve to air the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center
  7. Break in the egg and add seasoning
  8. Using an electric whisk begin to whisk in the center adding the milk and water slowly
  9. When all the liquid and flour has been incorporated it is ready for use…
  10. Remove the sausages and onions when ready and add oil to turned sausages if necessary and spread to coat whole of baking tray
  11. Heat tray of sausages on direct heat until searing hot
  12. Add the batter around the sausages very quickly
  13. Place sausages in batter on the top shelf
  14. Cook  for 30minutes without opening the oven door during cooking
  15. For the Gravy
  16. Place the onions with a teaspoon of oil into a pan and brown more if necessary
  17. When hot add the flour and stir
  18. Using a whisk add the stock, mustard and worcestershire sauce gradually until its all in the pan
  19. Simmer and stir until ready to serve, it will brown as it simmers
  20. The Toad is ready when it is puffed, brown and crisp, and the center should look cooked and not too squidgy.
  21. Try not to open the oven door while cooking.
  22. Serve immediately with mashed potato and peas

Notes : First time I found the batter not cooked in the center – this was for two reasons, the pan sides were too high and secondly I didnt realise until too late the oven temperature was set to 180 instead of 200. It looked great but when I took it out of the oven – it sank.. Better luck next time- Or perhaps I’ll use my yorkshire pudding trays and make individual puds.

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Roasted Chicken Quiche with onions, bell pepper and garlic

June 18, 2011

This is the first Quiche I have ever made from scratch, making the base the custard and the filling, and I can proudly say it was much easier than I thought it would be.. And it looked and tasted great…

This recipe can easily become a vegetarian dish by substuting the chicken with beans or Tofu

see recipe for Quiche shortcrust pastry for creating the casing/ see  Other Quiche custards  for more egg mixtures

Ingredients

Custard
4 whisked eggs
1 – 1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 small onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper
1 side of breast from a roasted chicken, diced quite small
Seasoning to taste
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

  1. Saute the onions and peppers until translucent
  2. Add the garlic and saute a little more
  3. Add the chicken, rosemary and season to taste
  4. When all hot and liquid soaked into chicken, take off heat
  5. Add all of it  into base  just as it comes out of the oven
  6. Pour half the egg custard over the top
  7. Place into oven on shelf and gently pour remaining custard on top
  8. Do not fill as the egg will rise a little
  9. Bake for 25 minutes max at 190 C
  10. Leave to settle for 10 minutes which will make it easier to cut into portions
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Chicken Livers in Mushroom Sauce

June 18, 2011

Ingredients

1 pack of fresh chicken livers soaked in milk to tenderise
1 pack sliced button mushrooms
2 bacon rashers , thinly sliced
1 diced onion
1 pressed garlic
1/2 -1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 – 1 tub creme fraiche
soy sauce to taste

  1. Pat dry the chicken livers and stir fry in a little olive oil
  2. Add diced onion and garlic and bacon
  3. Add sliced mushrooms and simmer with a little vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes
  4. Gently stir in half a tub of creme fraiche (more if required) and heat through
  5. Serve on rice or on tagliatelle
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Spaghetti Bolognese

January 29, 2011

Amit, This ones for you !!! 😉

Ingredients

    For the Beef and Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 lbs Haiku Ground Beef (fresh from Haiku Grocery Store)
  • 1 packet of ‘Hot’ Chili Seasoning Mix (from Haiku Grocery Store) – Hot being optional!
  • 2 Onions, diced
  • 3 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 Jar of Classico Garlic and Basil Tomato Sauce
  • 1 6oz can tomato Paste/Puree
  • 2 splashes Worcester Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons golden cane sugar
    Extra optional ingredients

  • 1 pack Cup Mushrooms – roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1 red Bell Pepper – diced small (optional)
  • 1 hand full basil – roughly chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 cup White wine (optional)
    For the Spaghetti

  • 1 packet Organic Spaghetti (Garden Time from Haiku)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    For the Table

  • grated cheddar cheese
  • sour cream if spicy
  • Basil, finely chopped
  • chili seed shaker
  1. Fill a large pan with water for the pasta, add 1 teaspoon salt to the water, and bring to the boil.
  2. For the Sauce
  3. Heat butter in a shallow pan with some freshly ground pepper,
  4. Saute the onions  (with the optional bell peppers), until onions begin to go translucent and begins to brown
  5. Add the optional mushrooms to the onions and cook until they soften
  6. Add the optional basil, and stir
  7. Add the whole jar of Classico Sauce
  8. Stir in the Tomato Puree and mix in thoroughly
  9. Rinse out the Jar and the can with  1/2 cup of water (or white wine) and add to the sauce
  10. Cover with a lid, bring the sauce to the boil stirring occasionally,  and then reduce to a simmer
  11. For the MEAT
  12. Add olive oil and ground pepper to a large pot on a high heat.
  13. When the pepper begins to sizzle, press in the garlic, which will brown quickly, be ready to remove half garlic and it add to onions
  14. Crumble in all the ground beef into the remaining  garlic in the oil immediately, and stir well with a wooden spoon to break up all meat
  15. Stir the meat until all the red meat has turned brown
  16. Add the Worcester Sauce to the meat, stir still on high heat
  17. Empty the packet of spices over the meat and stir in well,
  18. Stir the meat until the moisture is replaced by the oils from the meat, put to one side until the sauce is hot
  19. Then add all the  (*1) simmering sauce to the meat and stir in the 2 teaspoons of sugar
  20. Turn down, cover and simmer for 10-30 minutes, until the pasta is ready
  21. For the PASTA
  22. Add the whole packet of spaghetti and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the salted  boiling water
  23. Stir lightly until the water returns to the boil
  24. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until tender but still firm.
  25. Meanwhile set the table, chop the basil, grate the cheddar cheese and put some chili seeds in a dish, and test the pasta.
  26. As soon as the past is tender but still firm, drain in a colander, but do not rinse.
  27. Serve immediately.

NOTES : If you have pasta left over, put in a zip lock bag and freeze it.  When you want to use it, just drop frozen pasta into salted boiling water, bring back to the boil, then drain immediately. Perhaps stir in some sage and garlic flavored butter (see recipe) and perhaps serve as a side dish.

And the Bolognese freezes well too, but cool before putting in a zip lock bag.

(*1) – Only add the sauce to the beef if it is hot. Adding cold sauce to the meat will toughen it.

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BAKED BBQ chicken thighs on Brown Rice

January 26, 2011

A simple, tasty and effortless meal.

Ingredients

  • 8 frozen Boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • For the Marinade/Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Oilve oil (or more)
  • 1/3 lemon or lime, juice of
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestor Sauce
  • 1/4 White wine (optional)
  • 1/3 cup BBQ Sauce (I used KC Masterpiece- Hot and spicy)
  • 1-2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
  • Brown Rice
  1. Partially defrost the chicken thighs in a colander, by standing the colander on a bowl in the microwave for about 2 hours.
  2. Mix the remaining ingredients for the marinade and keep at room temperature
  3. Rinse and drain the partially defrosted chicken pieces and place them into the marinade.
  4. Chill for at least a few hours (24 hours is even better)
  5. Stir occasionally to ensure good coverage
  6. When ready to cook, place into a flat rectangular oven proof dish
  7. Arrange all the pieces, upside down (flat sides down), ensure they do not overlap
  8. Place into cold oven, turn on to 380 F and bake for 50-60 until browned
  9. While the chicken is baking, you may like to boil some brown rice following instructions on the packet
  10. Drain when the rice is cooked and keep covered and keep hot, Blast in Microwave if it cools too much prior to serving.
  11. When the chicken is cooked, remove them from the sauce, and place in a warmed, smaller oven proof dish and keep covered.
  12. Meanwhile, strain the marinade into a tall narrow mug or cup and leave for a couple of minutes for the oil to settle.
  13. When the oil has seperated, spoon it off from the top of the sauce, and discard the oil
  14. Stir in extra BBQ sauce to taste (1-2 tablespoons)
  15. Pour Sauce over the chicken, and if not still hot enough, cover and blast in Microwave
  16. Serve asap.

NOTE – I did not baste the chicken during baking, as they were lying in plenty of marinade and were almost but not quite covered by it. They stayed nice and moist.

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Beef MEATBALLS in Tomato Sauce on Mash with Leaf Spinach

January 17, 2011

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • For the MEATBALLS
  • 2lbs – Organic Ground Beef at room temperature
  • 1 pack – Hot Chilli Spices
  • 2-3 tablespoons – Olive oil
  • ground sea salt
  • For the SAUCE
  • Saute
  • 3  – Maui Onions
  • 3 large – Garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon – Butter
  • Blend next four ingredients in a blender
  • 1 can  – Diced Tomatoes, Organic
  • 1 can   – tomatoe Puree
  • 1 cup  – Roughly chopped Basil
  • 1 teaspoon – light cane sugar
  • 1 cup  – White wine (Pinot Grigio)
  • For the MASH
  • 3 large   – Russet Potatoes, peeled and chunked, then rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup –  Milk (not heated)
  • 1 tablespoon – Butter
  • Salt to taste
  • For the SPINACH
  • 1 pack  – Frozen Leaf Spinach
  • 2 tablespoons – Sauted Onions and Garlic from above
  • Season to taste
  1. Pre-Heat the oven ( and a large shallow ovenproof dish )to 420 degrees
  2. Peel and chop then rinse and drain the pototatoes and microwave them for 10-15 minutes, turning at least twice, until cooked
  3. Saute onions and pressed garlic in butter on medium heat, turn heat down when starting to brown, remove 1/3 for spinach and remove from heat when translucent
  4. Put ground beef into large mixing bowl, sprinkle in the pack of hot chilli spices while mixing in by hand, and leave to blend flavors
  5. Blend Sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth, and to Sauted onions in the pan.
  6. Add wine to blender and give it a quick whizz to rinse the sauce, and add that to the sauce, stir well.
  7. Cook sauce (with lid) on low heat until ready to add to semi cooked meatballs later (max 20mins)
  8. Remove dish out of the hot oven, add the Olive oil, and sprinkle in gound sea salt
  9. Use hands to make meatballs about 1 1/2″ diameter. Place them into the prepared hot dish. Space them evenly
  10. Place meatballs into oven for  15 minutes or until cooked half through, basting once after about 10 minutes.
  11. Add sauce around the meatballs, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn heat down to 400 if they are browning too fast.
  12. Remove Pototatoes from microwave when cooked, and replace with the spinach, and cook about 5-8 minutes until cooked
  13. Meanwhile add the butter and 1/2 the milk to the pototoes and use Mixer to make the Mash adding the remaining milk (more if needed)
  14. Before serving : Blast Mash in Microwave for at least 2 minutes and the Spinach for 1 minute if cooled
  15. Add the saved sauted onions to the hot spinach
  16. Remove meatballs from oven, turn off oven and hob…
  17. and serve…
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