This is a gorgeous salad which I always used to have when I worked at the Picturedrome in Northampton. Making it is not an exact science, it's more of a bit of this and a bit of that and lots of tasting in-between.
Salad Ingredients:
Potatoes
Mushrooms (preferably chestnut )
Bacon
Salad Leaves
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
Method:
1. Cut your potatoes to the size you want them in the salad 2. Par-boil them for 10-15 minutes
3.Rinse in cold water
4. Assemble vinaigrette (taste testing till you get your combination right)
5. Fry off your bacon, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes until they are all nicely golden
6. Assemble salad 7. Pour over vinaigrette 8. Serve and enjoy
180g/ 1 tub Philadelphia Light or the supermarket equivalent
2 eggs
3 stalks flat parsley leaves picked and chopped, or whatever fresh or dry herbs of choice
300 ml vegetable stock
Shavings of parmesan to garnish
1 onion
1clove of garlic
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. While it’s cooking fry off the onion and garlic in olive oil, then add bacon pieces in a large pan, add the veg stock and simmer for a few minutes till the liquid is reduced by half.
Beat together the Philly and the egg in a separate bowl. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the hot pan, add the bacon and stir through, add the philly and egg mixture and stir through well to combine everything.
Divide between 6 bowls scatter with the parsley and a few shavings of Parmesan. YUM!
I've always fancied trying to cook Potato Dauphinoise, it is previously something which I have only had in restaurants. Anyway had my sister Tess round for dinner this evening and thought I would try it out as something different with potatoes to accompany my maple chicken drumsticks which I was already cooking.
I googled it and came up with this recipe from the Potato Council (which I had never heard of - but figured they of all people will know what they are doing when it comes to potatoes)
To summarise this recipe in just a couple of words they would have to be naughty but delicious! Treat yourself
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Serves: 4 Oven Temperature: 180˚C, gas mark 4
Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning. Rinse then pat dry with kitchen paper.
Place the cream, milk and garlic in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender. Season well.
Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
5 oz (150 g) chorizo sausage, skinned and cut into ½ inch (1 cm) slices (for this I used half a pack of the ready sliced ones and that worked fine)
2 oz (50 g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 level tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
½ level teaspoon hot paprika (I used smoked paprika here instead)
brown basmati rice measured to the 8 fl oz (225 ml) level in a glass measuring jug
10 fl oz (275 ml) chicken stock (or stock made from Marigold vegetable bouillon powder)
6 fl oz (170 ml) dry white wine
½ large orange, cut into wedges (clementine or satsuma)
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 oz (50 g) black olives (pitted if you prefer)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Method:
1.Start by seasoning the chicken joints well with salt and pepper. (I would suggest that you get your chicken on and cooking as soon as possible as it takes some time to brown through, before you do your chopping, preferably in a flat pan of some sort)
2.Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into six strips. Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size.
3.The dried tomatoes should be drained, wiped dry with kitchen paper and then cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces.
4.Now heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the casserole and, when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces – two or three at a time – and brown them to a nutty golden colour on both sides. As they brown remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper, using a draining spoon.
5.Next add a little more oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from time to time, for about 5 minutes.
6.After that, add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and toss these around for a minute or two until the garlic is pale golden and the chorizo has taken on some colour.
7.Next, stir in the rice and, when the grains have a good coating of oil, add the sun-dried tomato paste, paprika and chopped thyme.
8.Pour in the stock and wine, and add some seasoning. As soon as everything has reached simmering point, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
9.Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it's important to keep the rice down in the liquid).
10.Finally, place the wedges of orange in among the chicken and scatter with the olives.
11.Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for about 50 minutes-1 hour or until the rice is cooked but still retains a little bite. Alternatively cook in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C), for 1 hour.
I have to say that this is the first Delia recipe which I have ever followed and it has to be the most easy step by step, so well detailed, but in no way patronising recipe which I have ever followed. I highly highly recommend her. I am now definitely a fan.
I thought it was about time that I cooked a chicken kiev from scratch. It was a childhood favourite of mine and a favourite of Adam's too. We had the shop bought one last week - it was okish, but I knew it would be so much nicer if I knew I cooked it from scratch myself.
My lovely friend Katie bought me this recipe book for my birthday or Christmas and I have been meaning to cook something from it ever since:
My Ingredients:
I halved everything in the original recipe as I was just cooking for the two of us and I used Matzo Meal instead of breadcrumbs as it was what I had in and it worked a treat!
Recipe:
Final Dish:
This recipe does take time, but I do definately think its worth the effort. Wasn't massively keen on the potatoes, to be honest but I think I might try the oven alternative next time. I loved the kiev and definately would recommend trying it to anyone. I also think it would be nice with a side of summer salad. Enjoy!
Just tried this dish again but this time I did the potatoes in the oven, as suggested on the second page of the original recipe. This really worked much better - and is how I will do it from now on. Please find updated photo below:
