Samphire and prawns with garlic butter

Boxing day supper.....

You will need:

A handful of raw shelled prawns (shrimp)
A handful of samphire
1-2 garlic butter discs (see below)
A thick slice of good white bread drizzled with olive oil

Method:

Toast the bread slice in a hot oven until golden brown.

Melt the garlic butter in a frying pan and when it starts to sizzle add the prawns.  Toss around for a couple of minutes then add the samphire.  Cook everything for another two minutes then decant onto the toasted bread.

Simples!

For the garlic butter

You will need:

Around 120g of soft salted butter
2 garlic cloves very finely chopped
A small handful of parsley very finely chopped
A pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and put onto a sheet of clingfilm (plastic wrap).  Roll up the parcel until you have something that looks like a Christmas Cracker.

Chill (you and the butter).

Now cut discs of garlic butter from the roll.  You will need 1-2 discs for this recipe.  The rest can be put in a plastic bag and frozen.

Ideas for garlic butter discs:

Melt onto a griddled rib-eye steak.  Have a tomato salad on the side.

Put into a large field mushroom.  Bake for 10 minutes in a hot oven and use ciabatta bread to mop up the juices.

Mix into linguine pasta along with a handful of shredded basil and a few peas.

Pork and shiitake meatballs

To have in front of the tele-box with some fizzy pop.

You will have leftovers.  This is deliberate.

You will need:

1 packet of pork mince (around 500g but less is fine - do not alter the other ingredients)
4-6 spring onions (depending on length and girth) finely sliced into little rings
2 garlic cloves crushed
8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water, drained and finely chopped
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of thai sweet chilli sauce
1 large handful of coriander (stalks and all) chopped
1 beaten egg

To serve:

1 butter-head, or other soft lettuce
Thai sweet chilli sauce

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together, form into ping pong sized balls and put in the fridge to chill.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Bake the balls on the sheet for around 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Wrap each meatball in a soft butter-head lettuce leaf and dunk into a pot of thai sweet chilli 'sawse'.

These are even better cold......

Linguine with roasted onion and anchovy (or black olives)

I took the dog for a walk this morning and I found myself thinking about pissaladiere..... as you do.


And no I am not talking about how one feels after two glasses of wine on an empty tummy but rather that lovely thin bread smothered in caramelised onions and anchovies that is sold at room temperature in French bakeries.


And I came up with this;  'Pissaladiere Pasta'.      


You will need


1 small roasted onion (see below) squeezed from its skin and finely chopped
2-3 anchovy fillets in oil finely chopped (or a few chopped black olives if you prefer)
1/4 red chilli very finely diced
A glug of good olive oil
A handful of dried linguine (as much you think you can, or should eat)
Freshly grated parmesan


Method


Heat up the onion, anchovy (or olives) and chilli with a glug of good olive oil in a non-stick pan.


Meanwhile cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.  However, instead of draining the linguine when it is cooked, simply fish it out of the water using kitchen tongs and add it to the onion and anchovy mixture.  Do not shake the pasta as you transfer it.  We want the water that is clinging.  Stir to mix and tip into a bowl. Top with parmesan.


Very simple.  And very good.


To roast the onion:


Lightly grease a baking dish and add a scant centimetre of water and the onions (brown, whole, skins left on).  


I suggest you cook more than one onion at a time.  They are a most obliging ingredient and will keep quite happily for up to three days in the fridge.  It goes without saying  (but I am going to anyway) that the best thing to do here is to cook the onions at the same time the oven is on for something else.


Bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours at 160C.  Allow to cool before attempting to remove the flesh from the skins; the soft onion achieves the temperature of molten lava.


Other uses for roasted onion


In an omelette for breakfast, perhaps with a bit of crumbled feta
Spread on bread and roasted for a little nibble to have with a drink
To make onion gravy to have with sausages
To make onion soup (just add beef stock and top with toasted french bread and grated cheddar)
To make pissaladiere .....?

The Solitary Suppers Christmas Cake......

A little bit of fun was had this Sunday morning...... 

A couple of weeks ago I quartered Delia's Christmas cake recipe and added a few chopped glace cherries because I like them.  I baked the mixture in a small pork pie tin at 140C for 2 1/2 hours.  I then fed the cake with brandy for a few days.  When I had run out of brandy I covered the cake with marzipan and allowed it to dry for 3 days.

And this morning I had a play.

HOW old am I?  Don't answer that.....

A Sunday Roast for One

This one's for Debs.

The brief was 'a roast dinner for one without using every pan in the kitchen'.

How about roast chicken with sausage and bacon rolls, crispy roast potatoes, vichy carrrots, peas, brussel sprouts and gravy?!

Equipment-wise I used;

1 small roasting tin,

a medium sized non-stick saucepan,
2 small breakfast bowls,
a sieve and
a measuring jug.

I also used cling film and silver foil, wooden and metal spoons, a spatula, a vegetable peeler and a sharp knife.

By jove, I think I've done it!

You will need:

1 chicken leg quarter rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon sliced into 3 rounds
1 large potato peeled and cut into quarters
1 large carrot peeled and cut into 1 cm rounds
3/4 cup of frozen peas
A handful of brussel sprouts, stalk nub sliced off
2 rashers of streaky bacon, cut in half
1 sausage, skin removed and cut into 4 pieces
1 level dessertspoon of plain flour
1/2 a chicken stock cube (I am assuming you don't have any homemade stock sloshing around. If you do, you will need 1/2 a pint)
A pinch of sugar
A dash of worcestershire sauce
1 dessertspoon of redcurrant jelly
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A knob of butter

Method

Heat the oven to 180C.

Wrap each sausage piece in a bacon strip.

Parboil the potatoes in briskly boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drain into a measuring jug in which you have already placed your chicken stock cube.  You need about half a pint of potato water.  Throw the rest of the water away.  Rinse and dry the saucepan.

Place the lemon slices on a small roasting tin and lay the oiled and seasoned chicken on top.  Surround the chicken with the parboiled potatoes and drizzle them with a little olive oil.  Add the sausage stuffed bacon rolls.

Cook for about an hour, basting the chicken and turning the potatoes and bacon rolls half way.

Get on with the carrots by placing them in the saucepan and just covering with water.  Add a knob of butter, sugar and a pinch of salt.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until tender.  Put any remaining liquid (it will be substantially reduced) in the measuring jug with the potato water and stock cube.  Put the carrots in a microwavable bowl, allow to cool then add the peas and cover with cling film.  Rinse and dry the pan.

Now make the gravy.

Scoop a couple of tablespoons of the fat from the roasting tin into the saucepan.  Try and scrape up a few of the nice crispy pan bits as you do so.  They will add flavor to the gravy.  Baste the chicken whilst you are at it.  Turn the potatoes again if you want.

Heat the oil in the saucepan over a moderate heat  and stir in the flour. After a minute or so (when the fat begins to ooze out of the flour mixture - you will know it when you see it) add the liquid from the jug; slowly and stirring all the time to avoid getting any lumps.  Add the worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly and bay leaf.  Simmer; stirring from time to time and adding a splash more water if necessary.

After an hour has passed, check that the chicken is cooked by piercing the plumpest section with a knife.  You want the juices that flow out to be clear with no trace of blood.  If you are happy, transfer the chicken and bacon rolls to a bowl and cover with foil.  They will be quite happy for up to half a hour.

Turn the potatoes again and return to the oven to really crisp up. Turn the heat up to 200C to assist the crisping.

Decant the gravy into the jug and cover with cling film. Rinse and clean the pan.

Boil the sprouts for 4 minutes in salted water.  You can add a bit of the sprout water to the gravy if you like.  Microwave the peas and carrots on high for 4 minutes.

Serve up!

Soy braised shiitake mushrooms in broth with noodles

Deeply savoury mushrooms in a crystal clear broth with slippery noodles and a few crunchy vegetables. Splendid stuff.  I just had it for lunch.

You will need:

1/8 cup soy
1/8 cup mirin
1/8 cup of sake
1 dessert spoon of caster sugar
pinch salt
8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms (depending on size)
3/4 pint of boiling water
50-75g of dried rice vermicelli noodles cooked according to the packet instructions and refreshed under cold water
1 celery stick very finely sliced
2 spring onions very finely sliced

Soak the mushrooms in the water for 20 minutes then fish them out with a spoon and slice.  KEEP THE SOAKING LIQUID!

Put the mushrooms in a saucepan with the soy, mirin, sake and salt and simmer for 5 minutes until reduced.  (You could stop now and just have the soy braised mushrooms on rice for a light lunch but we are going to keep going).

Add the reserved soaking liquid to the mushrooms and bring to the boil.

Now add the noodles, celery and spring onion.  Swirl around for a few seconds and then tip into a large soup bowl and start slurping.

Little tip:  Don't buy the vermicelli noodles that come in nests.  The nests are too big for one person and if you try and divide them up noodle fragments will fly everywhere making your kitchen floor look like the bottom of a gerbil's cage (if it doesn't already).  Stick with the straight noodles that come neatly tied in the middle like a sheaf of wheat.

Desperation Chicken

  

(Pea rice au gratin with crispy fried chicken)

A little challenge my brother threw down yesterday evening;

‘Mel is away.  What shall I cook?’

‘Well, what do you have in the fridge?’

‘Three eggs, cheddar with mould on it and some squeezy lemon in a bottle.  I don’t want an omelette’.

‘Okaaaay.....’

After a number of leading questions it was established that the sibling did not care to partake of another takeaway and had the following additional provisions:

2 frozen chicken breasts

Frozen peas (but of course) 

Frozen white sliced bread

A tin of tomatoes

Pasta (assorted and lots)

Uncle Ben’s rice

Half a bulb of garlic (hurrah!)

Chilli powder

A can of beer

Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and some olive oil

Plain flour (slightly out of date)

That was it.  Nothing else. 

No fresh herbs at all.  No onion.  Not a sausage. Literally.

And so ‘Desperation Chicken’ was born.

You will need

1 chicken breast carefully defrosted in the microwave, patted dry with kitchen towel and cut in half horizontally

A pinch of chilli powder

2 slices of frozen white bread grated into breadcrumbs using your cheese grater and put into a breakfast bowl

1 beaten egg in a breakfast bowl

A tablespoon of flour - preferably in date but let’s not be precious

2-3 handfuls of frozen peas (about 1 and 1/2 cups)

1 garlic clove crushed 

A heaped tablespoon of finely grated cheddar (mould scraped off)

A squeeze of lemon juice

3 level tablespoons of Uncle Ben’s rice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Prepare the chicken by bashing each half with a rolling pin or other suitable object until you have the thinness of a i-phone.  This is easier if you put the halves between cling-film before bashing. Coat the chicken lightly with flour.  Notice how lovely a flour coated chicken breast feels. 

Mix the chilli powder into the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Dip the breasts in the beaten egg then in the breadcrumbs. If you want a really crunchy coating repeat the process but it is not essential.  Put the fridge whilst you get on with the pea puree. 

Cook the peas for 3 minutes in a covered bowl in the microwave.

Meanwhile fry the garlic in a dessertspoon of olive oil for 30 seconds or so until fragrant but not brown.  Remove from the heat and add to the peas with a squirt of lemon.  Mash with a potato masher until you have a rough puree.  Add the cheese, lots of black pepper a pinch of salt and stir. Put to one side.

Put the rice on to boil in plenty of salted water.  It will take about 10 minutes.  

Whilst the rice is cooking heat up enough oil to just cover the bottom of a non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken for about 4 minutes either side until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile drain the rice and mix immediately well with the pea puree and grated cheddar.

Serve the chicken atop the rice.  Drink the beer.

Griddled chicken and courgettes with an asian 'pesto'

There were 2 chicken thighs left in the packet after last night's ginger chicken udon noodles.

This is what I did with them.

You will need

For the chicken

2 skinless chicken thighs
1 dessertspoon of fish sauce
1 small crushed garlic clove (or half a big one)
1/2 red chilli (or as much as you fancy)
Pinch of caster sugar
Squeeze of lime
Glug of vegetable oil


For the pesto

Handful of finely chopped coriander
Handful of finely chopped mint
1 small crushed garlic clove (or half a big one)
Small handful of pinenuts finely chopped
Generous squeeze of lime
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil to mix



For the courgettes

2 medium sized courgettes sliced into 4 or 5 lengthways
Vegetable oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the chicken together and set aside.

Mix all the ingredients for the pesto together adding as much oil as you think it needs to give a nice thick consistency.  Don't over do it or you will lose the lovely fresh taste. You could use a food processor if you want a finer result and can be bothered with the washing up.

Move onto the courgettes.  Brush the slices with a tiny bit of oil and griddle (or fry in a non-stick frying pan) until charred and floppy.  Put onto a plate and immediately drizzle with some pesto.

Griddle the chicken for 3-4 minutes each side.  Serve atop the courgettes.

Easy peasy.

P.S The remaining pesto will keep quite happily in the fridge for a couple of days and is good with seared salmon and rice.  Or you could freeze individual portions in an ice-cube tray.

Udon noodles with chicken and double onion

My interpretation of Wagamama's ginger chicken udon noodles.

To have at home without, sadly, the soothing sound of children at play.......

You will need:

2 skinned chicken thighs sliced

1 dessertspoon of sesame oil

1 dessertspoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of cornflour

1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
1 packet of udon noodles
1/2 red onion thickly sliced
2 spring onions cut into thick batons
A handful of beansprouts
5 mangetout finely sliced lengthways
1 (or as much as you fancy) red chilli sliced
A beaten egg (half would be better if you can use the rest for scrambled egg in the morning)
A handful of roughly chopped coriander
A glug of vegetable oil for frying

Method

Mix the chicken, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and cornflour together and set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and refresh under cold water.

Heat up a non-stick pan and add the chicken. Fry over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until cooked.

Take the chicken out and clean the pan.  Add the oil and heat. Now add the noodles chilli, onion, mangetout and beansprouts .  Without fiddling fry until the noodles catch slightly - you know - until they get a nice brown bottom.  Now toss. All in all you are looking for about 2 minutes. Put the chicken back.

Add the egg and quickly toss everything around.

Decant onto a plate and sprinkle with coriander.

Chickpea burgers

This recipe started out life as some rather stiff hummus I found in the fridge.

The burgers are crispy and spicy and great stuffed into a pitta with a yoghurt dressing and some tabbouleh.  Or chucked into a sesame bun with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.  They are also good cold the next day.

You will need

A tin of chickpeas drained
1 large garlic clove crushed
1 tablespoon of tahini
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
A pinch of cayenne
1 beaten egg
Juice of half a lemon
2 spring onions finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil

Method

Put all of the ingredients, except the onions and the oil, in a food processor and blitz until combined but not slush.  Stir in the onions. If you don't have a processor just mash the chickpeas with a  potato masher and then incorporate the remaining ingredients bar the oil.

Chill the mixture and then form into patties.  You choose the size.

Heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of a non-stick frying pan.  When hot cook the patties for 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown.

Barley and shredded greens 'risotto'

I have discovered that shredded brussel sprouts are an excellent substitute for cabbage. Far less wastage for the solitary cook. And shredded and lightly cooked sprouts are great.

Now, for those of you who have started gagging and feel that you would rather nibble on Jabba the Hut's big toe nail than eat a sprout, I urge (oh sorry, wrong word) implore (is that better?) you to think again.

A shredded and lightly cooked sprout is a totally different thing to an over-boiled, yellow stinky ball that more resembles Jabba the Hut's.... WELL ANYWAY.

Give this recipe a bash, either on its own or along side a couple of roasted chicken thighs and let me know what you think.  It is simple but really rather good.

You will need

1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
3 tablespoons of pearl barley
4-5 brussel sprouts, stalk nub (the bit your Mum made you put a cross in when you were young) removed, cut in half vertically and then finely shredded
A handful of chopped flat leaf parley
400 mls of vegetable or chicken stock
A glug of white wine
Freshly grated parmesan (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil and a knob of butter

Method

Fry the shallot and the garlic gently in a little oil and a knob of butter until soft.  Add a glug of wine and the pearl barley and turn up the heat a bit.

Bubble away until the wine is almost gone then add the stock.  Simmer for about twenty minutes then taste.  You want it cooked but still retaining a bit of bite.  You might need another 5 minutes and a splash more water from the kettle if things are looking dry.

Now add the sprouts, the parsely and lots of black pepper and simmer for another minute or so.  Stir in the cheese if using (it is not essential) and you are done.

Umami Burgers

I am often asked asked to cook my special "boygurz" with sticky sauce.

What most of those making the request do not realise is my burgers contain capers.  It is those little green flower buds (or bogeys as some would have it) that makes all the difference.  For that reason please don't miss them out.  You won't notice they are there but you will notice if they are missing.  If you see what I mean?

With thanks to Joceline Dimbleby for the essential caper component.

You will need

For the burgers

250g (half a standard packet) of lean steak mince
1 shallot finely chopped (or half a brown onion)
4 rashers of finely sliced smoked streaky bacon
A dessertspoon of capers finely chopped
A handful of chopped parsley (optional)
A generous dash of worcestershire sauce
A squirt of tomato ketchup (about a tablespoon)
1  teaspoon of caster sugar
A glug of olive oil
A small pinch of salt and plenty of ground black pepper

For the sticky sauce

2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar
a couple of dashes of tabasco

Method

Fry the bacon and onion in the olive oil until the onions are soft but not brown.  Cool.

In a large boil combine the cooled onion and bacon mixture with the rest of the burger ingredients and form into patties (you choose the size).  Chill for 20 minutes or so in the fridge.

For the sticky sauce mix all the ingredients together.

Heat the grill to high.

Remove the burgers from the fridge and top each one with a smear of sauce.

Grill until the top is sizzling and sticky (about 3 minutes but you will need to use your own judgement a bit here) and turn.  Add another smear of sticky sauce and grill again for another couple of minutes, again until the top is sticky and sizzling.  You might find the process less messy if you line the grill pan with some silver foil.

Serve the burgers in a toasted sesame bun with floppy green lettuce and mayonnaise or on their own with a fresh mixed salad.  You will probably not eat all the burgers but they taste great cold the next day.

I reckon these little babies might change your mind about capers.

A couple of things to do with leftover puff pastry

Winter is coming and it is important to build up a sturdy layer of fat.  We need it for warmth you see.

All that pie-making will inevitably leave the solitary diner with left over puff pastry.

Here are a couple of ideas.

Firstly you will need to pre heat the oven to 200C then stamp out some (4-5 inch) pastry circles or squares with the leftover dough. Then bake them for 5 minutes at 200C and 10 minutes at 180C or until puffed up and golden brown.  Cool and store in an airtight tin or tupperware.  They will happily keep in this state for at least a month.

Individual apple pie

You will need

1 pre-cooked pastry circle or square
1 bramley cooking apple (or 2 eating/dessert apples)
If you are using bramley 1-2 teaspoons (you decide - taste it) of sugar, if using eating apples 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
A pinch of cinnamon
A sprinkle of icing sugar
A squirt of lemon juice


Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

Peel, core and slice the apple(s).  Drop into water to which you have added a squirt of lemon juice.
Drain the apple slices but do not shake dry.

Put into a saucepan with the cinnamon and the sugar and heat gently to simmering point and continue to cook until you have a lovely apple sauce - about 5 minutes.  You might need to add a touch more water if things are looking a little dry.

Cut the top off the circle or square of puff pastry and hollow out a well in the bottom half.  Fill the hollow with apple sauce.  Top with the other circle. Sprinkle with icing sugar and bake for 10 minutes until the filling is hot.

Have with ice-cream!

Creamy mushroom pie


You will need

A handful of sliced mushrooms
A knob of butter
1 scant teaspoon of plain flour
A couple of glugs of milk
Salt and pepper

Method

Fry the mushrooms in the butter until soft and then add the flour.  Stir around for a minute or so and then remove from the heat.  Add the milk slowly stirring (frantically?) all the while.  Don't worry about lumps, all will be well.

Return to the heat and bubble a bit whilst stirring.  The lumps will go now.  Season until you are happy.

Cut the top off the circle or square of puff pastry and hollow out a well in the bottom half.  Fill the hollow with mushroom sauce.  Top with the other circle. Brush with milk and bake for for 10 minutes or so until the top is glazed and the filling hot.

Savoury and yum.  I suppose you should have some rocket or something on the side. Or not.

Let us eat (more) cake

An individual Victoria Sponge 

Needs no introduction really.  

I used a 4.5ins x 1.5ins cake tin, bottom and sides lined with baking parchment
Preheat oven (180C)

You will need

For the cake

2oz soft butter or Stork margarine
2oz caster sugar
1 large egg (room temperature) lightly whisked with fork
2 oz self raising flour
tiny pinch salt
pinch of baking powder

For the buttercream filling (or use clotted or fresh whipped cream)

1 tablespoon of icing sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
1oz softened butter
a couple of drops of vanilla essence
1 tablespoon of strawberry or raspberry jam

Method

In a small mixing bowl beat the sugar with the butter (or Stork) until light and fluffy.  Add the egg very gradually beating well between additions.  Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.  Using a metal spoon, gently fold the flour mix into the egg mix.  Pour into the prepared tin and lightly smooth the top. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 mins.  Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 mins in the tin.  Carefully turn cake onto cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Whisk the butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.  Split the cake into two horizontally and spread the bottom slice (cut side up) with the icing.  Top with the jam and then sandwich together with the top slice of cake (cut side down onto jam).  Dust the top of the cake with sifted icing sugar and enjoy!

Really sticky lemon syrup cake - for one!

I am not very good at maths.  Not very good at all.  Let me put it this way; I once called my best friend Suzi in Tokyo because I couldn't work out how to use the percentage button on my calculator.  I was in London at the time.

Cake making is about proportions (maths in my book) so miniaturising a family recipe has taken quite a few swear words to achieve.  I also had to call my mother.

I used a little baby spring form cake tin 4 1/2 inches by 1/2 inches deep.  I reckon it would also work in a teeny weeny loaf tin.  You could also pour the batter into 2 greased paper muffin cases (but reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes and keep the cakes in the cases when you pour on the syrup).

You will need:

For the cake batter

1/2 oz stale white bread crumbs
1 3/4 oz caster sugar
1 oz ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 oz sunflower oil
1 large egg
Zest of an unwaxed lemon

For the syrup

Juice of one lemon
2 oz caster sugar

Method

Grease the inside of the tin.  Line with baking parchment and then grease the paper.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the sugar, almonds, lemon zest and baking powder.

Whisk the oil and the eggs together and pour into the breadcrumb mixture and stir well..

Pour the resulting batter into the cake tin.

Put the tin onto a baking sheet and into a COLD oven.  Turn the oven on to 180 C (fan oven 170 C).

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin.  Then turn into a shallow breakfast bowl, removing the baking parchment paper as you do so..

Whilst the cake is cooling make the syrup.   Bring the sugar and lemon juice to the boil in a non stick pan stirring all the while until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Turn the heat down and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Pierce the top of the cake all over with a skewer and pour on the hot syrup.  As the cake cools it will soak up the syrup from the bowl.  You can baste it if you wish.

I am rather pleased with this one.

Raggedy Cheese and Onion Pie

I think you might like this one.

I escaped from a three day stint in hospital recently and what I wanted when I got home was pie.

Not shop bought and reheated pie but home-made, hot pie.  Real pie. I also didn't want to bake a normal size pie because, being at home all day, I thought I might eat it all.  Actually I knew I would eat it all. Undoubtedly in one sitting.

Problem number 1:  I don't have a single portion pie tin.

Problem number 2:  I didn't have the oomph to go to the shops to get any special ingredients or equipment.

Solution; Raggedy cheese and onion pie!   Brilliant!

Gluttony really is the mother of invention.

You will need:

For the pastry

4 oz sifted plain flour
2 oz vegetable fat (I used Trex)
1 tablespoon ice cold water

For the filling

1 medium brown onion
3 oz grated strong cheddar
salt and pepper

An oven heated to 200C

Method:

Rub the fat into the flour using only your finger tips (imagine you are crushing flaky sea salt between your fingers - that is sort of the action we are after here).

Once the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs add the water and quickly bring the whole lot together into a ball using your hand.  Do not squidge it.  It needs to just come together.

Wrap the pastry ball in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge.

Meanwhile peel and chop the onion into 8 and boil in unsalted water for 10 minutes or so until soft.  Drain and mix with the grated cheese.  Mix well, taste and season.  Be careful with the salt as the cheese will be quite salty.  Leave to cool.

Once the onion and cheese mixture has cooled roll out the chilled pastry (on a floured surface) until it is about 10 inches across and roughly circular.

Pick the pastry disc up by curling part of it over the rolling pin and drop it into a breakfast bowl.  Press gently so that the pastry assumes the shape of the dish.

Now tip in your cooled onion and cheese mixture and pat it down.  Bring the edges of the pie up to roughly meet on top of the pie and squidge a few edges together so that you have a plump little parcel.

Depending on the size of your breakfast bowl you may have a hole on the top of your pie where the pastry did not quite meet.  This is absolutely fine. Mine did.  If you do not have a hole you will need to cut a small hole in the top to let the steam escape.

Now slide the pie from the breakfast bowl onto a non-stick baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.  You can brush it with beaten egg if you want a glossy finish but it is not essential.

Bake for 5 minutes at 200C then turn the heat down to 180C and bake for a further 30 minutes.  Serve with a dash of worcestershire sauce.

I reckon this would be very nice with a bunch of watercress but I didn't have any.

Buffalo wings with blue cheese dip and celery

This little number is a 'Friday night with a movie' favourite. For that reason I make no apologies for the fact that you will need to purchase a bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce (Sainsburys stock it).

I first had buffalo wings in a bar in Toronto whilst on my gap year.  I did not have ID so whilst everyone else drank margarita slush puppies I acquainted myself with the menu.

You will need

For the wings

1 pack (around 800g) of chicken wings.

For the Dressing

1/2 bottle Frank's hot sauce
30g (or a heaped tablespoon) of butter
1 sprinkling (to taste) of caster sugar

For the Dip

50g or so (around third of a pack) of soft blue cheese -I think St Agur works well
1/2 small tub of sour cream
A tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove crushed
a scant teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Left over dip can be loosened with a bit of milk and used as a salad dressing.

And lots of celery peeled with your veggie peeler and cut into batons



Now, Before we get going we need to have a chat.  800g of chicken wings will seem like alot and you will be really tempted (as I was the first time) to only cook half of them.  DON'T!  You will eat almost all of them in one sitting and the left-overs are awfully nice to find when grazing on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Method

Cut off the scrawny wing tip of each chicken piece with a sharp sturdy knife, rolling your eyes demonically and yelling out "yaaa HA!" with each dissection if you must.

Tip the wings onto non-stick baking sheet and bake at 200 for about an hour turning once or twice.  They may take less time they may take more - it really depends on relative plumpness.  Whatever, I like them really crispy and that takes time. Tip into a large bowl leaving behind the fat, dress with the hot sauce and serve with the dip and celery.

For the dressing just heat up the remaining chicken ingredients in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved.

For the blue cheese dip just mix the ingredients well.

You can thank me later.

Blackened miso halibut

This really is astonishingly easy.  Sit gaping at your plate in astonishment with chopsticks aloft thinking 'blimey, I'm good' easy.

You will need

A thick piece of meaty white fish (with skin on) such as halibut.  Mine was 200g.  Little piggy wiggy.

And for the marinade

1/8 cup of sake
1/8 cup of mirin
1/4 heaped cup of sweet white miso
1 1/2 tablespoon caster sugar

Method

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a non reactive bowl and plunge in the white fish. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 24 hours or so.

Heat the grill to high.

Lift the fish out of the marinade and give it a gentle shake to get the excess gunk off.

Put onto a non-stick oven tray skin side down and grill until very dark brown and the flakes separate easily.

I had mine with japanese rice and wilted and wrung dry spinach which I had sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

I also had a glass of chilled sake.  Of course.

Spicy nuts - something to have with a drink

Yesterday evening I made cute little bone shaped dog biscuits.  Nice things to take as a gift when visiting a household with a canine.   I had little cellophane bags ready and lots of pretty curly ribbon.  I even had tiny, pert gift tags ready.

I still have the bags, the pretty ribbon and the gift tags.

In my defence the biscuits smelled really good.

So this evening I made a human snack.

 You will need:

A large handful (think of a New Zealand rugby player - oh la!) of raw shelled cashews or pistachios
A glug of vegetable or olive oil
A sprinkling of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or chilli powder

Method

Mix the sea salt and chilli powder or cayenne in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a frying pan until medium hot and add the nuts.  Toss them around for a minute.  Scoop the nuts out of the pan onto kitchen paper leaving the oil behind. Sprinkle immediately with the salt and chilli mix.

Leave to cool.  Eat with a glass of chilled white wine and remember that a bottle of wine is not a challenge.  You can put the cork back in.  Thank you Nigel Slater for that last, important, tip.

Two vegetable side dishes - your Mum will be SOOOO pleased

Baked Courgettes
Garlic Beans


My Mum is brilliant with vegetables.  Brilliant.  These recipes are from her.  Fanks Mum.

Baked Courgettes

You will need

1 large courgette (zucchini)
Large handful (approximately 2/3 cup) of coarse white breadcrumbs (panko breadcrumbs work well)
Heaped tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Level tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method

Top and tail the courgettes and slice them lengthways into 4 (or about 1/4 inch thickness - but please don't get the measuring tape out).
Butter a small ovenproof gratin dish and lay the strips in - each one overlapping by a 1/4 inch.

Mix together all the other ingredients, sprinkle over the courgettes and sprinkle liberally with olive oil.

Bake for around 20 minutes at 180C until the topping is golden and crunchy.

Garlic beans

You will need

A large handful of french green beans (called squeaky beans in our family)
A generous knob of butter
1 clove of garlic - crushed
Salt

Method

Bring a pan of well salted water (it should taste like sea water) to the boil.  Add the beans.  Bring back to the boil with the lid on then immediately remove the lid.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  They should be just tender.

Drain and plunge into a bowl of iced water.  The ice water is very important.  It stops the beans from cooking and helps them retain their bright green colour.  Mum is insistent; this step must not be missed out....

When cold, drain and pat dry with a tea towel or some kitchen paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.  Add the garlic. Cook VERY GENTLY for 30 seconds.  Do not let it brown.  If it does start again.  You are just warming the garlic through.

Keep the saucepan on a gentle heat and add the beans and toss them in the butter for a minute until hot and serve immediately.

Chips and dip

I was once lucky enough to be taken on holiday to the BVI.  We stayed in the most amazing villa high up in the hills.  I had never stayed anywhere quite as glamorous and suspect I never will again..... we had a maid for goodness sake! Her name was Lydia and she was a super cook.

One evening she did 'chips and dip'.  The dip was based on cottage cheese and all of our party bar me and the 12 year old thought it wasn't for them.  More fool them.  It was fabulous!  The 12 year old and I scoffed the lot with plain tortilla chips.  And had no room for supper but did we mind?

Here is Lydia's recipe exactly as she wrote it down for me:

Cottage Cheese Dip

1 cup cottage cheese
1 T.S mayo
1 T.S grated onion
3 dash worcestershire
2 T.S basil (chopped)
Dash cayenne (pep)

Mix well.

I have used the same approach but with cream cheese and added some chopped ham and walnuts.  Good spread on little bread rounds to have with a drink.

A really simple supper.....

According to my brother I am talking too much on this blog.....

And there are too many ingredients.

So here is a recipe.

With not very many ingredients.

Chicken with a cream sauce

You will need

1 chicken breast cut in half horizontally
A tablespoon of plain flour
A 'glug glug' of white wine (about 2 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove squashed but not peeled
1/2 a cup of single (half and half) cream

Method

Put your two bits of chicken onto a chopping board and bash with a rolling pin, a (un-open) wine bottle, your hand, a shoe - whatever,  until flat.  You are looking for the thinness of an i-phone.  This is an easier exercise if you put the chicken between cling film before you start bashing.

Put the flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Dredge the chicken through the flour.  Along with taking your shoes off and walking on a golf green, a flour dredged chicken breast is one of life's tactile pleasures.

Heat up a splodge of oil in your non-stick pan and fry your breasts (!) along with the garlic clove for 4 minutes each side.  Do not turn the breasts before the time is up. Feel free to fiddle with garlic.

Remove from the pan and keep warm.  (Just put them in a bowl with a plate on top).

Splash the wine into your still hot pan and reduce by half.  Take off the heat and add the cream.  Stir around.  Return to a low heat for a minute or so.

Serve on the chicken with some bread and soft floppy lettuce leaves.  Or chips.

Not quite Masterchef

About six months ago wine woman (me) filled out an application form for the TV show Masterchef.  And then forgot all about it.

Two weeks ago I received a phone call.  An interview for the show!

They asked me all manner of things. What sauces could I make, for instance?  I said I could make mayonnaise,  bechamel, veloute, hollandaise, beurre blanc, pesto, gribiche ....  I went on and on. And on .... and on.  Eventually, and after a pause whilst I drew breath, the patient little voice on the other end of the phone said "Yes, but can you make gravy?".

Oh.

But despite coming across as a world class muppet I got a screening.

The excitement!  The phone calls!  The outfits!  Oh YES!

And I was rubbish.  Beyond rubbish.  I made a world class muppet look like Einstein. Einstein on a good day.   You know when you go through customs and suddenly you start walking in an oddly stilted 'Ministry of Funny Walks' type fashion?  Well, I made the Monty Python crew look like a bunch of amateurs.

Anyway, this is the dish I cooked and, despite the above, it really is rather fantastic.....

Sticky chicken with sushi rice and basil (with thanks to Ruth Watson in her book Fat Girl Slim).  I also served a cucumber and seaweed salad - recipe to follow.

You will need


2/4 (depending on size and appetite) boneless, skinless chicken thighs - sliced into the finest strips you can possibly manage
Scant 1/2 tablespoon of cornflour
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2tablespoon of soy sauce

Mix these all together and set aside.

You will also need

2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce (or Ruth Watson has half of sweet chilli and half of hoisin)
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup of Japanese or 'sushi' rice

A really generous handful of basil leaves - shredded

Method

Put the rice in a sieve and run it under the cold tap until the water runs clear.  If you have time leave it to drain for half an hour.  Whatever, put into your smallest lidded saucepan (mine is 6 inches across) and add half a cup of cold water.  Bring to the boil with the lid on.  Then turn down to the lowest heat and cook for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave with the lid on until you are ready.  I have left it for up to an hour with no adverse effects.

Heat up your non-stick pan and tip in the chicken.  Toss around over a high heat for 4 minutes then add the garlic.  After 30 seconds add the sauces and lower the heat a bit.  Cook for a further 4 minutes until everything has reduced and is all sticky.

Serve with the rice and basil.

Do not cook this on television.

Elizabethan mince

“Elizabethan” mince, aka “Lizzie” mince

This was my absolute favorite meal growing up.  It is really, really good and very easy to make, although it does need to simmer for a while. My mother got the recipe from a Good Housekeeping (or similar) magazine back in the early seventies but cannot remember the author.  Does anyone know?  In any event what we do know is that the original was not called Elizabethan mince.  This was a name I came up with apparently, aged 6.  Weird child.  We ate a great deal of mince growing up. 

You will need

A packet of extra lean beef mince

1 large onion roughly chopped 

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or squished in a pestle and mortar

2 carrots peeled with your vegetable peeler and cut into sugar cubed sized chunks 

1 stick of celery peeled and sugar cube

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

A heaped tablespoon of medium heat curry paste (patak’s works well for me)

A tin of plum tomatoes drained of their juice and quartered (reserve the juice)

A tub of greek yoghurt about 300mls or so

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

And to serve (The accompaniments are an integral part of this dish; if you have never had cooked cucumber before you are in for a treat)

Fusilli pasta cooked al dente

Half a cucumber deseeded with a teaspoon and cut into 2 inch batons and fried in butter  over quite a high heat until ever so slightly golden

A heaped tablespoon of flaked almonds toasted in a dry non stick frying pan (do not wander off when you are doing this, they burn if you do)

Method

Heat the oven to 160

Fry the carrots, onion and celery in olive oil (in a heavy pan that has a lid) over a gentle heat until soft.  This will take at least 20 minutes.

Now stir in the mince and brown it.

Add the curry paste, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, until the raw, almost vinegary, smell from the paste has evaporated.

Tip in the yoghurt and tomato puree and bring it to simmering point.  Then lightly stir in the chopped tomatoes being careful not to break them up.  Put a lid on and cook in the oven for an hour.  Halfway through the cooking time check to make sure things have not got too dry (although it should be fairly dry) and if so add some of the reserved tomato juice to loosen things up a bit.

Serve on top of the fusilli with the cucumber and almonds strewn on top.  Some chopped coriander would be nice if you have some although coriander was not part of the dish when I was growing up. 

Freeze the rest of the sauce in individual portions for another time. 

My brother tells me this is also good with buttered nan bread, brinjal pickle and a bag of watercress.

Thai turkey (or beef) in lettuce cups

Deeply savoury ground turkey (or beef) with my three of my favourite ingredients; chilli, garlic and lime served in iceberg lettuce cups.  Extraordinarily messy and thus perfect for the solitary diner.

It is based on an idea by Nigella Lawson in her book ‘Forever Summer’.  I have fiddled with it a bit to include grated carrot and extra crunch in the form of water chestnuts. 

This does not freeze, or for that matter reheat, very well.

1/2 packet of turkey (or beef) mince (wrap the other half of the packet in cling-film and freeze although I suppose if you are particularly peckish you could just use the whole lot – you do not need to change the quantities of the other ingredients)

1 carrot coarsely grated

Half a bunch of spring onions chopped (green bits too)

Handful of coriander chopped

1 red chilli chopped

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

Zest and juice of a lime

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

A sprinkle of caster sugar (optional)

1 tin of water chestnuts sliced

1 iceberg lettuce separated into individual leaves (don’t worry if you tear them in the process – it is only you eating them after all and it  matters not at all if sauce dribbles down your chin)

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, add the chilli and stir fry for a minute over a moderate heat.. Then wack up the heat and add the carrot and turkey (or beef) mince, breaking the mince up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  You will have to be brave here.  You want the mince almost to catch slightly and become crisp in parts.  It is weird though.  Sometimes I get the crispness sometimes not. Don’t worry if it is a ‘not crispy’ occasion it will still taste good.

Add the  garlic and cook for a minute stirring all the while then splosh in the fish sauce, lime juice and zest and sugar and watch it boil up and reduce slightly. Mix in the water chestnuts and stir until they are heated through.

Add the coriander and spring onion and remove from the heat.

Mound the mince into a bowl and place the bowl on a plate with a pile of lettuce cups.

To eat, spoon the mince into a cup, roll up and shovel into your mouth.  You will make a terrible mess.

Pan fried gnocchi with goats' cheese and a working girl sauce

A recipe for Sharon.

Who is a vegetarian.

Pan-fried (I know, I know.  As opposed to what?  Tupperware box fried?) gnocchi with goats' cheese and a working girl sauce.

This recipe is based on a dish I have eaten many times at a little restaurant in London called Koha.

I am not going to suggest you make your own gnocchi.  I tried it once.  The dough morphed into something with the adhesive qualities of freshly laid tarmacadam.  I had gobbets of the stuff all over my hands and couldn't get them off.  I resorted to flinging my arms about wildly, in the manner of someone alarmed by a wasp.  There are still little bits of uncooked gnocchi dough on my kitchen ceiling.

You will need

Half a packet of gnocchi made by someone else
A cup of sticky tomato sauce (see my recipe for meatballs in tomato sauce for the method)
A scant dessertspoon of roughly chopped capers (or some toasted pinenuts if even the thought of a caper makes you go all funny)
A small handful of shrivelled black olives (absolutely not the ones packed in brine) roughly chopped
A handful of shredded basil
A handful of cubed soft goats cheese.
Olive oil

Method

Heat the sauce with the capers and olives.

Cook the gnocchi in briskly boiling salted water until they start to bob to the surface then drain.

Heat up enough olive oil in your non-stick frying pan to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Throw in the gnocchi and toss them around so they coated in the oil. Spread them out into a single layer.  Fry until the underbelly of each one has turned golden, flip over (the gnocchi, not you) and fry the other side. This little exercise will take 5-8 minutes. Do not fiddle.  If you start poking around the gnocchi will turn all anti-establishment on you and stick to the non-stick pan.

Remove to a warm bowl.  Top with the sauce, goats' cheese, basil and pinenuts ( if you have gone that route) and you are done.

I have called the sauce 'working girl sauce' as it is loosely modelled on spaghetti alla puttanesca (literally 'whore's style spaghetti' in Italian).  

More vegetarian recipes will follow!

Blaming the tools

Kitchen equipment - the bit you never read in a cookbook right?

So I don't need to worry about typos in this post. 

I am assuming you have a fridge/freezer.  If you only have a fridge then some of my ideas will not really work for you.  I freeze quite a bit because it is tricky cooking things like chilli or Bolognese sauce for one.

I am also assuming you have a stove. 

A shed load (literally) of single portion ‘clip it’ plastic storage boxes.

A sharp chef’s knife.  I use Wusthof knives.  They are not dishwasher safe so I lovingly clean them in hot soapy water each night.  You may regard this as an annoying waste of time and want to stab me with one of my own knives for mentioning it in which case make sure you get a knife that will stand up to dishwasher abuse.  It MUST be sharp though and not serrated.  I sharpen my knives every time I use them.  Preparing food with a dull blade is utterly miserable.  Perhaps that is why so many people hate cooking?  Too much time spent gnawing away with a knife that wouldn’t cut through shower gel.

Hence you will need a knife sharpener

A vegetable peeler

2 chopping boards 

A cheese grater

A large non-stick sauté pan with lid (go for the best quality you can afford on this one)

A small non-stick frying pan (I have a cheap one from a supermarket that is just dandy)

A non-stick milk pan (you may see a theme emerging.  Whilst I do not mind washing my knives by hand I do not feel quite the same about pans)

A large heavy roasting tin (preferably with a rack and dishwasher safe)

A large non stick baking sheet (again dishwasher safe and the type with little sides)

A large pot for cooking pasta

A couple of lidded saucepans

A couple of small lasagna style dishes

A cast-iron lidded casserole (you might need to put this on a birthday wish list - bit of a spenny treat)

A large pyrex salad bowl (we will use this for all sorts of things)

A small mixing bowl (the kind your granny used to cook Christmas puddings in)

A large pestle and mortar

A hand held blender (called the wand of death in my family)

Kitchen tongs

A garlic press (although I tend to use my pestle and mortar as I have yet to find a garlic press that works well enough to warrant the cleaning)

A food processor would be nice but is not essential.

Scales if you want some (I use them to weigh pasta so that I don’t cook too much and therefore eat too much) but we are not going to be fussy about quantities.  Up to you.

Words on the larder

Basic store cupboard

Although my larder looks like a spoilt child’s toy box you really do not need a bulging store cupboard.  I have tiny bottles of truffle oil, Japanese hot pepper, shrimp paste, tamarind, black rice, jars of embalmed anchovies, five types of dried chilli, six types of vinegar and so on (and on).   You see, whenever someone asks me what I would like for my birthday or Christmas I always answer food or kitchen equipment (mainly knives) but then I am obsessed.  Horribly so.  I sincerely hope you are not as bad as me or if you are that you have a far speedier metabolism.

Extra virgin olive oil

Bog standard olive oil

Groundnut oil (or vegetable oil if you are allergic in which case I hardly need to tell you do I?)

Balsamic vinegar (the cheap stuff is just fine – we will be cooking with it)

White wine vinegar

Soy sauce

Fish sauce

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

Tabasco

Worcestershire sauce

Chicken and beef stock cubes as well as some marigold stock powder (I am assuming you do not want to fill up your single person’s freezer with stock although good for you if you do)

Black pepper (lots and in a grinder)

Malden sea salt

Pouring sea salt (I suggest you ask for a couple of salt pigs for your birthday.  Sorry, I can’t help myself)

Caster sugar

Uncle Ben’s long grain rice (I know it is expensive but it really is the best.  However  I suggest you do not buy the boil in the bag variety – it pushes the price even higher)

Risotto rice  

Pasta – I currently have spaghetti, fusilli and conchiglie in my larder

Tinned chopped tomatoes

Tomato puree

Black olives (the shriveled type not the one packed in brine which are curiously plastic and quite vile)

Cashews, pecans, pine nuts

Tinned or bottled anchovies

Capers (you hate them right?  Tough – buy them anyway. Along with the anchovies.)

Anchovies (see above)

Bay leaves

Dried oregano

Cayenne

Ground cumin

Ground coriander

Chilli powder

Ground cinnamon

Paprika (smoked and sweet)

Nutmeg (the whole variety. You can grate it on your cheese grater.  No need to invest in a fancy doodad)

Plain flour

Smooth Dijon mustard

Runny honey

In the fridge I always have

Unsalted butter

A strong cheddar

Eggs

A small pot of cream (single or double)

Carrots

Celery

Smoked streaky bacon

Chillies

Lemons and limes

As well as copious quantities of strong white onions and garlic and a large ziplock bag of homemade breadcrumbs in the freezer (Just blitz up a stale white loaf in the food processor or buy some panko breadcrumbs). Oh, and some white pittas (they freeze well)

I grow basil, coriander, dill, flat leaf parsley and thyme in window boxes.  I also have a little bay tree by the front door. However, I quite understand that you may not even have a window ledge (a lot of the modern buildings going up around me don’t seem to have them) in which case then you are going to have to buy your fresh herbs as and when.  In my experience only basil works as an indoor plant.  

That should do it for the time being