This makes a good side dish if you dont fancy the standard veggie dishes or if you simply want something flavorsome and saucy. I just had this with Sausages and it goes really well, it's probably pretty versatile and will make a dish instantly meditaranean if you fancy something a little different.
You will need:
Half a red onion roughly chopped
3/4 Shallots quartered (or more red onion, no white onion, it's too strong)
1 fresh tomato
5/6 cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (1 stalk of fresh if you have it)
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
And make it:
Put oven on at around 200/210 degrees.
Into a terracotta (or a Pyrex dish) pour in the olive oil. Break up the Garlic a little with your hands and add to the oil.
Now rougly chop the tomato and halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the dish. chop the pepper into chunks, add.
Roughly chop the red onion and peel and quarter the shallots (or the other half of the red onion) and add to the dish along with the rosemary (lightly bruised)toss all the ingredients together and add salt and pepper.
Place the dish into the oven uncovered and bake for 20- 30 minutes. The TOmatoes should cook down and the onion should be cooked through. Serve with whatever you wish.... the choice is all yours
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Bacon, broccoli and lemon pasta
This dish really is so cheap to make but much lighter and a little bit different to the usual 'skint' pasta dishes. I change this a bit every time I make it so the measurements are rough... but keep tasting it and suit it to your taste. This probably works out to about 80/90 pence a portion so it really is CHEAP!
These serves 2-3 people
What you will need (roughly):
150-200gms of cooking bacon (nothing fancy and cooking bacon is usually flavoursome)
4 nests of Tagliatelle
Broccoli as much as you like
1 clove garlic
1 lemon (zest and juice)
A knob of butter
Level Tbsp Flour
Tbsp bottled lemon juice
about 2 Tsp ground black pepper (Pepper & Lemon = Yum)
Pinch of salt
1 Cup of milk
What you need to do:
First of all pre-heat the grill and place bacon under a medium high heat.
Meanwhile put a large saucepan of water (salted) on boil for the pasta.
Now to make the sauce melt the butter adding a little olive oil to stop it burning. When it has melted add the flour and mix until you have a roux. Now add the Black pepper, zest of 1 lemon and the juice. Whisk, whisk and whisk, it may look unpleasant and 'curdly' at first but keep whisking and slowly add the milk....still whisking. Turn the heat right down and allow sauce to thicken.
When water is boiling add the tagliatelle and cook meanwhile keep an eye on the sauce, now is a good time to taste it, it needs to be sharp and lemony but dont add salt (you will get enough sauce from the bacon), if you want it really lemony add some more bottled lemon juice.
The bacon should be slightly crisp now, remove from under the grill and roughly chop then add to the sauce. Now cook the broccoli (I do it in the microwave, one of the very few things I do cook in it) cook it with the garlic and cover with clingfilm so it steams and blast for 3 minutes.
Now drain the pasta and keep an eye on the sauce!! Add cooked broccoli roughly chopped to the sauce. Mix and add sauce to the pasta pan. Always add pasta the sauce not the other way around, so now add pasta and toss together.
Voila!
These serves 2-3 people
What you will need (roughly):
150-200gms of cooking bacon (nothing fancy and cooking bacon is usually flavoursome)
4 nests of Tagliatelle
Broccoli as much as you like
1 clove garlic
1 lemon (zest and juice)
A knob of butter
Level Tbsp Flour
Tbsp bottled lemon juice
about 2 Tsp ground black pepper (Pepper & Lemon = Yum)
Pinch of salt
1 Cup of milk
What you need to do:
First of all pre-heat the grill and place bacon under a medium high heat.
Meanwhile put a large saucepan of water (salted) on boil for the pasta.
Now to make the sauce melt the butter adding a little olive oil to stop it burning. When it has melted add the flour and mix until you have a roux. Now add the Black pepper, zest of 1 lemon and the juice. Whisk, whisk and whisk, it may look unpleasant and 'curdly' at first but keep whisking and slowly add the milk....still whisking. Turn the heat right down and allow sauce to thicken.
When water is boiling add the tagliatelle and cook meanwhile keep an eye on the sauce, now is a good time to taste it, it needs to be sharp and lemony but dont add salt (you will get enough sauce from the bacon), if you want it really lemony add some more bottled lemon juice.
The bacon should be slightly crisp now, remove from under the grill and roughly chop then add to the sauce. Now cook the broccoli (I do it in the microwave, one of the very few things I do cook in it) cook it with the garlic and cover with clingfilm so it steams and blast for 3 minutes.
Now drain the pasta and keep an eye on the sauce!! Add cooked broccoli roughly chopped to the sauce. Mix and add sauce to the pasta pan. Always add pasta the sauce not the other way around, so now add pasta and toss together.
Voila!
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Yummy Spanish Pork Kebabs
These kebabs are so cheap and easy to make and are delicious. The recipe has been tweaked everytime I make them (which is alot) and make the perfect addition to a main meal or great as a smaller tapas dish. I would recommend the Pork shoulder as it stays quite moist and if extremely flavoursome.
You will need
500gms Pork Shoulder steak
1/2- 1 Onion
2-3 Tomatoes
3 cloves minced Garlic
2tsp Good quality smoked paprika
1tsp crushed coriander seeds
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
teeny pinch of saffron (if you want to be indulgent)
And to make it...
Cube up the pork into pieces. Obviously if you are making smaller kebabs cube it into small pieces, this recipes is for 4 larger kebabs
Put pork into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Now add garlic and coriander seeds to a pestle and mortar and grind in a paste. add the paste to the pork and mix till pork is evenly coated.
Now add Paprika, lemon juice and olive oil and mix thoroughly with your hands and add saffron if you wish to add it.
Now leave it to marinade for about 4 hours or overnight. Obviously if you dont have much time just marinade for about 30 mins.
When the the meat is marinated you can now construct your kebabs. Cut onion and tomatoes into chunks. now construct to your preference. I find a good balance is onion-2cubes of pork- tomato and so on. The tomatoe does tend to go slushy so dont use too much but it keeps the pork moist so definately add it.
When your kebabs are complete grill under a preheated medium grill for 10-15 minutes (although keep an eye on them especially as the pork cubes will vary in size)
You could also griddle them but i found this fiddly and grilling is far more effective. In the Summer I WILL be bbq ing them for a proper spanish flavour!!
ENjoy, srves with portuguese or spanish rice or patatas bravas. Or simply make up some aioli to dip as a tapas dish.
You will need
500gms Pork Shoulder steak
1/2- 1 Onion
2-3 Tomatoes
3 cloves minced Garlic
2tsp Good quality smoked paprika
1tsp crushed coriander seeds
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
teeny pinch of saffron (if you want to be indulgent)
And to make it...
Cube up the pork into pieces. Obviously if you are making smaller kebabs cube it into small pieces, this recipes is for 4 larger kebabs
Put pork into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Now add garlic and coriander seeds to a pestle and mortar and grind in a paste. add the paste to the pork and mix till pork is evenly coated.
Now add Paprika, lemon juice and olive oil and mix thoroughly with your hands and add saffron if you wish to add it.
Now leave it to marinade for about 4 hours or overnight. Obviously if you dont have much time just marinade for about 30 mins.
When the the meat is marinated you can now construct your kebabs. Cut onion and tomatoes into chunks. now construct to your preference. I find a good balance is onion-2cubes of pork- tomato and so on. The tomatoe does tend to go slushy so dont use too much but it keeps the pork moist so definately add it.
When your kebabs are complete grill under a preheated medium grill for 10-15 minutes (although keep an eye on them especially as the pork cubes will vary in size)
You could also griddle them but i found this fiddly and grilling is far more effective. In the Summer I WILL be bbq ing them for a proper spanish flavour!!
ENjoy, srves with portuguese or spanish rice or patatas bravas. Or simply make up some aioli to dip as a tapas dish.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Greek lemon Roasted potatoes (to serve with the stifado)
I thought that with the intense flavour of Stifado a basic roast potato would suffice. I was wrong, i read that lemon roasts are the business with Stifado and they were remarkably easy to make and so worth the little extra effort.
What you will need ( to serve about 3/4):
4 potatoes ( peeled or unpeeled)
1 1/2 Tbsp of sunflower oil
1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used bottled stuff but I reckon fresh will be better)
1 Tsp Oregano (dried is fine)
1 Tsp Dried parsley
2 Tsp of minced garlic (or 2 cloves garlic)
1 cup water (more if necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste
As I was cooking these with the Stifado I was unable to cook these on a high heat for the entire duration.
Into a roasting tin (or whatever you usually roast potatoes in) pour in the oil, lemon juice oregano, parsley, garlic and potatoes and toss together with salt and pepper .
Once everything is mixed together add the water. Mix together again and place in an oven (in this instance it was 160 degrees as the stifado was cooking) cook potatoes and turn every 10 minutes or so. after about 2 hours you can now increase the temp (timed so it is the same time as the stifado if cooking both).
Put onto full whack and cook for 1/2 and hour. They will start to get a chewy/crispy/caramelised skin and will need turning alot to prevent sticking.
If the stifado is ready before the potatoes, remove the casserole and continue cooking until crispy (and obviously put Stifado back in the oven for 5 mins to warm through
Serve.......the hint of lemon and garlic and the caramelised skin is so good I ate way too many and complement the Stifad beautifully, that was a good tip!
What you will need ( to serve about 3/4):
4 potatoes ( peeled or unpeeled)
1 1/2 Tbsp of sunflower oil
1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used bottled stuff but I reckon fresh will be better)
1 Tsp Oregano (dried is fine)
1 Tsp Dried parsley
2 Tsp of minced garlic (or 2 cloves garlic)
1 cup water (more if necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste
As I was cooking these with the Stifado I was unable to cook these on a high heat for the entire duration.
Into a roasting tin (or whatever you usually roast potatoes in) pour in the oil, lemon juice oregano, parsley, garlic and potatoes and toss together with salt and pepper .
Once everything is mixed together add the water. Mix together again and place in an oven (in this instance it was 160 degrees as the stifado was cooking) cook potatoes and turn every 10 minutes or so. after about 2 hours you can now increase the temp (timed so it is the same time as the stifado if cooking both).
Put onto full whack and cook for 1/2 and hour. They will start to get a chewy/crispy/caramelised skin and will need turning alot to prevent sticking.
If the stifado is ready before the potatoes, remove the casserole and continue cooking until crispy (and obviously put Stifado back in the oven for 5 mins to warm through
Serve.......the hint of lemon and garlic and the caramelised skin is so good I ate way too many and complement the Stifad beautifully, that was a good tip!
Beef Stifado
I have neglected my blog page since setting it up but now I am considering writing a cook book so I thought I'd share some of my recipes online and see what people think. In these times of a credit crunch you'll find my recipes cheap and easy to make.
I consider myself a pure form of cook which means I dont need to spend loads of money on ingredients to make good authentic dishes and this. I do have my mishaps occasionally but I have my personal taste tester to give feedback on my dishes, My Husband!
Anyway Beef Stifado. I had some beef shin (my personal favorite cut of beef) in the fridge and was a bit tired of pies and curry so looked up a recipe for Beef Stifado. I got a general idea of what is involved and tweaked it to suit my style and what I had in the cupboards (which wasn't alot) This served 2 but I am absolutely stuffed so would probably feed 3
0.5kg of beef shin (more marbled the better)
2 onions (1/2 finely chopped, the rest in chunks)
4 Cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon minced garlic (from a jar, my little cheat)
1/2 tbsp Tomato puree
1 vegetable stock cube
2 sprigs rosemary (you can use dry but i find rosemary so much nicer fresh)
2 tsp Olive oil (pref extra virgin)
1 Glass red wine
2 tsp Worcester sauce (not authentic but I didn't have red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp Cinanmon
3 cloves
1 Bayleaf
1/2 tbsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper
As you can see most of this stuff is inexpensive and likely to be in any budding cooks larder.
Preheat oven to about 150/160 degrees centigrade
Dice the meat into 1 inch pieces, do not remove the fat as this will give the dish most of its flavour. Pick out the fat later if you must but most of it will cook down anyway. Add to a large saucepan and fry on a high heat to seal the meat.
Cook for 5 mins then add the 1/2 finely chopped onion and the garlic (sliced). Continue cooking on a high heat until onion is soft.
Now add the worcester sauce and the red wine, stir and cover for 5 mins. Now fry the chunky onion in a separate pan with the sugar until brown and a little soft then set aside.
Now to the meat mixture add the cloves, cinnamon, rosemary and bayleaf and stir together along with salt and pepper to taste.
Now transfer to casserole dish, preferably terracotta (I picked up mine in a charity shop for £1 and does make a difference) if you dont have one pryrex with a lid will suffice
Now mix in the slightly caremalised onion and place lid on. Put in the oven and cook at this temperature for 2 and a half hours.
For the last 20 mins to half an hour I put the oven up to full and removed the lid. Keep an eye on it though, the idea is to thicken it a little and intensify the flavour, it also means you can cook your potatoes at the same time.
This does take a while but my word it is worth it, feel free to add more cinnamon if it is to your taste but felt this was the perfect balance
I consider myself a pure form of cook which means I dont need to spend loads of money on ingredients to make good authentic dishes and this. I do have my mishaps occasionally but I have my personal taste tester to give feedback on my dishes, My Husband!
Anyway Beef Stifado. I had some beef shin (my personal favorite cut of beef) in the fridge and was a bit tired of pies and curry so looked up a recipe for Beef Stifado. I got a general idea of what is involved and tweaked it to suit my style and what I had in the cupboards (which wasn't alot) This served 2 but I am absolutely stuffed so would probably feed 3
0.5kg of beef shin (more marbled the better)
2 onions (1/2 finely chopped, the rest in chunks)
4 Cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon minced garlic (from a jar, my little cheat)
1/2 tbsp Tomato puree
1 vegetable stock cube
2 sprigs rosemary (you can use dry but i find rosemary so much nicer fresh)
2 tsp Olive oil (pref extra virgin)
1 Glass red wine
2 tsp Worcester sauce (not authentic but I didn't have red wine vinegar)
1/2 tsp Cinanmon
3 cloves
1 Bayleaf
1/2 tbsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper
As you can see most of this stuff is inexpensive and likely to be in any budding cooks larder.
Preheat oven to about 150/160 degrees centigrade
Dice the meat into 1 inch pieces, do not remove the fat as this will give the dish most of its flavour. Pick out the fat later if you must but most of it will cook down anyway. Add to a large saucepan and fry on a high heat to seal the meat.
Cook for 5 mins then add the 1/2 finely chopped onion and the garlic (sliced). Continue cooking on a high heat until onion is soft.
Now add the worcester sauce and the red wine, stir and cover for 5 mins. Now fry the chunky onion in a separate pan with the sugar until brown and a little soft then set aside.
Now to the meat mixture add the cloves, cinnamon, rosemary and bayleaf and stir together along with salt and pepper to taste.
Now transfer to casserole dish, preferably terracotta (I picked up mine in a charity shop for £1 and does make a difference) if you dont have one pryrex with a lid will suffice
Now mix in the slightly caremalised onion and place lid on. Put in the oven and cook at this temperature for 2 and a half hours.
For the last 20 mins to half an hour I put the oven up to full and removed the lid. Keep an eye on it though, the idea is to thicken it a little and intensify the flavour, it also means you can cook your potatoes at the same time.
This does take a while but my word it is worth it, feel free to add more cinnamon if it is to your taste but felt this was the perfect balance
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