Leftovers Pasta (with ham)

Tonight for dinner I'm going to use up the left over ham from the other day in a simple tomato pasta sauce which works every time!

Ingredients

Left over ham (or any other meat you have)

Tin of tomatoes

Italian herbs

1 onion

1 garlic clove

Dash of Worcester Sauce

2 table spoons of tomato ketchup

Half a tube of tomato purée

Whatever left over veg you have (in my case the end of a jar of green sliced olives and the last little bit of a yellow sweet pepper)

500g pasta

Grated cheese of choice

Method

1. Fill pasta pan with water and get on the hob to boil
2. In a wok heat up some olive oil
3. Add chopped onion and garlic and fry off
4. Add diced meat and stir
5. Add all the remaining ingredients other than pasta and cheese and stir
6. By this point your pasta water should have come to the boil, so put your pasta on and cook for 10 minutes
7. Put lids on both pans and leave for the pasta cooking time
8. Grate the cheese
9. When your pasta is cooked, strain and then add to the wok, add cheese and then mix everything together until all nicely mixed
10. Serve and enjoy!
    

Nigella's Aromatic spiced ham (for sibling meal at ours - December 09)

Ingredients

For the ham
2.25-2.75kg/4lb 15oz-6lb 1oz boneless mild-cure gammon
250ml/8¾fl oz red wine
3 litres/5 pints 5½fl oz water (approximately)
1 large onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 head fennel, halved
2 star anise
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp mixed peppercorns
For the glaze
approximately 16 whole cloves
4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp red wine vinegar

Method

1. Place the gammon in a large saucepan.
2. Add all the ingredients for the ham to the pan, adding some more water if the ham isn't covered.
3. Bring to the boil, before reducing the heat to a simmer and partially covering the pan. Cook for about two and a half to three hours - approximately one hour a kilo simmering time, plus an extra 15 minutes.
4. When you are ready to glaze the ham, preheat the oven to 230C/440F/Gas 8.
5. Remove the ham from the liquid and sit the ham on a board. Strip off the rind, and a little of the fat layer if it's very thick, and cut a diamond pattern into the remaining fat with a sharp knife in lines of about 2cm/¾in apart.
6. Stud each diamond with a clove. Put the jelly, cinnamon, paprika and red wine vinegar into a saucepan and whisk together over a high heat bringing it to the boil. Let the pan bubble away so that the glaze reduces to a syrup-like consistency.
7. Place a layer of foil over a roasting tray big enough to hold the ham. Place the ham on top of the foil.
8. Pour the glaze over the clove-studded ham and then transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the glazed fat is burnished.
9. Allow the meat to rest in a warm place for at least 15 minutes before carving it.

(original link)

Cheese Toastie with a bit of a kick!

Great for a lunchtime snack...

• Use whatever bread you like/have in
• Take two slices
  
• Tear up some salami and ham on one slice
  
• On the other slice spread a little tomato and chilli chutney
• Back to the meat side of the bread.... now add a handful of rocket and as much cheese as you like in whatever variety you like (my cheese of choice this time was Aldi Mountain Cheese - European and slightly smokey)
• Then simply put two slices together
• And pop in your toastie bag, toastie maker, or as I do, my George Forman Grill and cook until the bread looks toasted and the cheese melted - only a couple of minutes this should take
• Slice in half and serve with a nice cold glass of juice... yum yum yum 

Chocolate, Rum and Raisin Brownies (for the Perkins girlie night in)

Taken from this wonderful cookbook which Penny bought me last Christmas:

Here's the recipe:

Here's what they are supposed to look like:

 I'll report back in an hour or so to let you know how it goes along with any adaptation which I have made.....

Here are my ingredients ^^^


Only differences from the original recipe are that instead of bars of pure chocolate I have decided to use the remainder from the end of selection boxes of chocolates. All the ones which have been sitting in chocolate jar for quite some time but sadly without a home as everyone has left them behind. 

 (I love these jars - I have several of them found at charity shops at opposite end of the country - I've been told they're from a range which came out in the 1950s/60s which were supposed to take their inspiration from vegetables - in this case onions. I do indeed have a very big soft for coloured glass in any case, I'm drawn to it like a magpie to shiny things)

The only other difference is that I have used stork spread instead of butter as it is what I had in...

Fresh out the oven.....

Just sliced.....

 

On a plate with ice cream....

yum yum yum....enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff... for dinner tonight

From the BBC food website. Here's the original link.

Ingredients

75g/3oz butter
1 onion, finely sliced
150g/5oz white mushrooms, finely sliced
2 tbsp tomato purée
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp smoked hot paprika
110ml/4fl oz beef stock
500g/1lb 2oz beef fillet, cut into strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml/5fl oz brandy
200ml/7fl oz soured cream
2 tbsp flatleaf parsley

Method


1. Heat a frying pan until hot, then add half the butter. When foaming, add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just softened.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato purée, mustard and paprika and cook for a further minute.
4. Add the beef stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
5. Season the beef with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Heat a separate frying pan and add the remaining butter. When foaming, add the beef and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides, until browned all over.
7. Add the brandy (I ran out of brandy so I topped it up with navy run as I figured it looked very similar and it worked perfectly) and carefully allow to flambé in the pan. - carefully light it if it doesn't do it on its own - it's great fun! (CAUTION: make sure there are no flammable materials above the pan when flaming.)
8. Add the soured cream to the onion and mushroom mixture and mix well.
9. When the flames have subsided, add the beef to the soured cream and mushroom mixture and cook for one minute. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the parsley.
10. Serve up with rice or potatoes....
11. ENJOY!

June's (perfect every time) RICE

I got this recipe from a lovely lady called June at a school I was temping in and it really does work every time! 

I usually add a little Chinese five spice to the rice and oil for extra flavour. 

This is a method for rice cooking which everyone should have in their recipe book!

Creamy Mustard & Tarragon Chicken (Good Housekeeping)

Oatmeal Cookies

 (please remember you can swap the fruit and nuts for whatever you have in, today I didn't have raisins but did have dried apricots and pecan nuts so that's what I used) - This also works very well with crystallised ginger

Ingredients

• 175g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 85g porridge oats
• 175g  caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 140g butter , chopped (you will need to add this)
• 70g dried raisins
• 1 egg , beaten (you will need to add this)

Method

1. Tip the flour, baking powder, oats, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl, then mix well with your hands. Add the butter, then rub it into the mixture until it has disappeared.
2. Stir in the blueberries and pecans, add the egg, then mix well with a cutlery knife or wooden spoon until it all comes together in a big ball.
3. Spoon teaspoon sized dollops, evenly spread onto a baking sheet
4. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/ gas 4. Bake for 14 mins golden, leave on the trays to harden, then cool completely on a wire rack before tucking in.

The above photo shows my alternative method for putting the cookie dough on the baking tray - it doesn't bother me if the cookies turn out perfect round, in fact I like if they are all slightly different shapes so I usually miss out the part of the method where you leave the mixture to chill before cutting perfectly round circles. I just take the mixture straight from the bowl to the baking tray using two long handled teaspoons/ icecream sunday spoons and a heaped spoonful I think makes the perfect size cookie!

This has become a massive favourite recipe in our house and always puts a smile on my boyfriends face. You can put whatever you like in them really to replace the blueberries and pecans. I've tried everything from raisins, to to sundried apricots, cranberries to left over chocolate broken up and all have gone down a treat! 

Here is the original link in the mean time. 

(perfect - the traditional way with a nice glass of cold milk)

Enjoy! 

 

Mum's Chicken Caserole

I grew up on this recipe and it is still high on my list of comfort foods. My Mum’s ingenious idea to one day liquidise the casseroled vegetables to make sure we all ate them is what makes this recipe so unique. The sauce is pretty much my favourite thing about it.

It works with whole chicken or single cuts, and with a huge variety of vegetables (root ones are especially good).

It can be served with rice or potatoes – up to you!

Hope you enjoy this classic comfort food dish :)

Melodie's Chicken Pittas

I learnt this recipe from my fabulous friend Melodie when I went to stay with her in Paris when she was living there during my student days. Such an amazing cook – such an inspiring person. Hope to see her again soon. x

Tagine Chicken Korma (of sorts)

So for tonight's meal I am going to use the following ingredients along with my new favourite cooking device, my Moroccan Tagine, to a Chicken Korma. Or at least something which vaguely resembles one!

Ingredients (to serve 2-3 people):

4 cardamom pods

2cm cube of fresh ginger grated

3 large

chicken breasts

1 onion

1 small can of coconut cream
Korma curry paste (to taste) - I have used two
heaped teaspoons
1/2 small pot of

single cream (284ml pot)

1 tsp of sugar

OK – first things first – very very important when you use a tagine that A. you prepare it as per instructions before starting to use it for the first time and B. that you always always use a heat diffuser such as the one above otherwise your tagine will simply crack and will be useless as a result. (N.B. this advice is specifically for traditional Moroccan tagines).

So on your hob place the diffuser and then the base of the tagine. Add a good swig of olive oil and put the heat just above medium. (I put it on no. 8 but everyone’s hob is different so go with what you think)

Let it heat up a little and

then add your onion, sliced quite finely...

Then add your grated ginger and 4 cardamom pods and stir well... 

Then add your raw diced chicken breasts…. (I usually cut them using kitchen scissors, straight into the pan)...

Stir and cook until your chicken is cooked through....

Stir in the small can of coconut cream and two heaped teaspoons of the korma curry paste....

.... and half a pot of cream. Stir in well.

Then bring up to the boil - gently and then place on the tagine lid and turn the heat right down (for me I turned it down to no.2)

.... Leave cooking for at least half an hr.....

.... remember to keep tasting the sauce..... add seasoning to taste....

I added a teaspoon of sugar after coming back after the first half hour after taste testing but this is a personal thing - so go with your gut... add a little of what you think the dish needs and then taste test again....

The whole nature of tagine cooking is for long periods to enhance the flavour fully... so you can leave this cooking as long as you like really... the longer you cook it the more flavour it will have! :)

Serve with rice…. And naan bread if you have it…..

The method I got for cooking rice is an amazing fail safe method which I got from a wonderful lady called June when I was temping in a local school…

I usually cook rice in large batches and then freeze in portions and reheat in the microwave when I need it….

Please find June’s method below….

You know considering that was the first attempt at that recipe – I can honestly say its one of the yummiest Kormas I’ve ever had. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please send me any questions or comments – I’m fascinated to hear what you think to my first proper post!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

02 December 2012

Since I first posted this recipe I have played around with it. I don't always use cream now but rather coconut milk along with coconut cream for a bit of a healthier option.

I also tend to put in either kale or spinach to add some more texture near the end along with raisins and sliced almonds, these all work really well.

And I tend to use left over roast chicken/turkey as it gives much more flavour and texture to the dish.

Here is a photo of a recent version:

Introduction

Hi Everyone,

I'm Gill. I'm 26. I live in Milton Keynes, England. And I love to cook.

I keep my own recipe journal and I love trying new recipes and swapping recipes with friends and family.

I have been starting to post some meals on my Facebook page, but I wanted to start something more specialised.

I get my recipes from all sorts of sources and I will always quote where I get them from and how I get on with them.

I am a big fan of blogs such as pinchmysalt.com and that in combination with the film Julia and Julie really inspired me to give this a go.

I hope you enjoy my posts.

Please send me any feedback you have.

Happy cooking!

Gill x