Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Chicken Curry in creamy mango spices
Serves 4
1 medium onion ~ diced
2 large cloves garlic ~ minced
1 tblsp olive oil
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds - crushed
1 tsp baharat
½ tsp ground coriander
30g organic plain flour, seasoned.
1 tblsp olive oil
3 or 4 chicken breasts ~ the better quality the meat, the less you will need! 200ml chicken stock
2 tblsp mango chutney ~ I use Geeta’s 4 tblsp cream/Elmlea® (double light)
METHOD
• Place oil into large frying pan and cook the onion until transparent. Add in the garlic and do the same, be careful not to burn
• Add in the spices and cook out these for about 5 minutes. Keep your eye on them, not too high a heat and make sure they are moved around your pan or they could catch and burn
. Meanwhile, cut up your chicken into bite-size pieces and coat with seasoned flour
• Heat second tablespoon of oil and
add meat; toss around until all is sealed. Cook this until all chicken is beginning to colour a little
• Mix in mango chutney
• Add in hot stock, mix well and turn down flame/hob to a low simmer for about 10 minutes; the sauce should thicken as it cooks
• Finally, add cream/Elmlea® and mix. Stir for final minute
• Serve with boiled/pilau rice
© Rachel Heard 2007
Slow-braised lamb's liver and bacon with herby dumplings
Here is an economical meal made using lamb's liver. Don't dismiss it based on memories of how that was cooked at school...this is nothing like that!!! This is slow-braised and delicious, it melts in the mouth, literally. My local butcher sells 500g for roughly £1.50...surely it is worth a try?
I use pickling onions as they are cheaper than shallots; leave them whole and they will be sweet and yummy! It's also time to sow some now... Buy streaky bacon and you are away! If you can, sow a few flat leaf parsley seeds every other week in a 5-6" pot for your kitchen windowsill. A packet of seed will last a while and they are so much cheaper than buying pots from the supermarket. Useful in lots of cooking. Try www.nickys-nursery.co.uk for seeds. Nicky sells a huge variety for a really good price and they all come in a plain packet, no frills BUT you get a label and loads of seed for your money! Let me know how you get on with this one. Rachel x
Serves 4
500g Lamb’s liver - sliced and tossed in flour
1 tblsp olive oil
225g streaky bacon
12 small shallots or pickling onions - peeled, left whole
500ml hot beef stock
Herby Dumplings
225g self raising flour - sifted
110g suet
Good grind of salt and black pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Milk to mix
METHOD
Simply, seal liver in pan and add onions and bacon. Fry until bacon is just cooked and onion is translucent. Place all in ovenproof dish. Add stock and stir gently. Cook at Gas 2/150°C/300º C for 4 hours. Turn oven temp up to Gas 5/190°/375°C. Then pop dumplings in for last half hour.
Dumplings...
Place flour in bowl and add suet. Season and stir with fork. Stir in chopped parsley and mix to a firm dough with milk.
Divide into 8 equal pieces with floured hands.
Place dumplings on top of liver and bacon for the last half hour of cooking.
I suggest that you serve this with finely shredded Primo cabbage, julienne of carrots and the herby dumplings.
© Rachel Heard 2000
I use pickling onions as they are cheaper than shallots; leave them whole and they will be sweet and yummy! It's also time to sow some now... Buy streaky bacon and you are away! If you can, sow a few flat leaf parsley seeds every other week in a 5-6" pot for your kitchen windowsill. A packet of seed will last a while and they are so much cheaper than buying pots from the supermarket. Useful in lots of cooking. Try www.nickys-nursery.co.uk for seeds. Nicky sells a huge variety for a really good price and they all come in a plain packet, no frills BUT you get a label and loads of seed for your money! Let me know how you get on with this one. Rachel x
Serves 4
500g Lamb’s liver - sliced and tossed in flour
1 tblsp olive oil
225g streaky bacon
12 small shallots or pickling onions - peeled, left whole
500ml hot beef stock
Herby Dumplings
225g self raising flour - sifted
110g suet
Good grind of salt and black pepper
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Milk to mix
METHOD
Simply, seal liver in pan and add onions and bacon. Fry until bacon is just cooked and onion is translucent. Place all in ovenproof dish. Add stock and stir gently. Cook at Gas 2/150°C/300º C for 4 hours. Turn oven temp up to Gas 5/190°/375°C. Then pop dumplings in for last half hour.
Dumplings...
Place flour in bowl and add suet. Season and stir with fork. Stir in chopped parsley and mix to a firm dough with milk.
Divide into 8 equal pieces with floured hands.
Place dumplings on top of liver and bacon for the last half hour of cooking.
I suggest that you serve this with finely shredded Primo cabbage, julienne of carrots and the herby dumplings.
© Rachel Heard 2000
Monday, 8 October 2012
My Ginger Seeded Flapjack
This is one of my weekly staple bakes...Tim just loves it! The delicious flavour of crystallised ginger and the goodness of mixed seeds cumulate to make this one of life's essentials....enjoy!
12oz butter - chopped into 2cm cubes
6oz soft brown sugar
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4oz crystallised ginger - chopped, we like Suma Organic
2oz Omega seeds - we like Suma
3oz plain flour - sifted
13oz oats
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170°C fan/ 180°C/Gas 4.
I use my microwave, you can use a pan on the hob if you prefer to melt butter, syrup and vanilla together until just melted.
Add ginger, sugar and seeds...stir well.
Stir in oats and flour, mix until all combined.
Line deep rectangular tin 8"x12" with parchment and spread mixture until even.
Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Leave in tin until cool. Place on cooling rack until completely cold, cut into 24 pieces on board, store in airtight box.
12oz butter - chopped into 2cm cubes
6oz soft brown sugar
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4oz crystallised ginger - chopped, we like Suma Organic
2oz Omega seeds - we like Suma
3oz plain flour - sifted
13oz oats
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170°C fan/ 180°C/Gas 4.
I use my microwave, you can use a pan on the hob if you prefer to melt butter, syrup and vanilla together until just melted.
Add ginger, sugar and seeds...stir well.
Stir in oats and flour, mix until all combined.
Line deep rectangular tin 8"x12" with parchment and spread mixture until even.
Bake in oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Leave in tin until cool. Place on cooling rack until completely cold, cut into 24 pieces on board, store in airtight box.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Chicken Pelau.....with seasonal veg and Apple and Blueberry Crumble
I wandered down to our vegetable plot this morning with the help of my husband...as you get to know me, you will understand why that is. We looked at our crops to see what was ready for picking today; great, we thought...yum! Runner beans, mini-sweetcorn, green and yellow courgettes, Bramley apples and raspberries. What a feast we can make with all this...so for today's meal
6 boneless chicken thighs- skinned
1 tsp jerk chicken seasoning
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp Soy sauce - dark
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - pressed
1 tin chopped tomatoes (we love Suma organic - full and flavoursome)
1 tin baked beans
1 Knorr Stock Pot Jelly - chicken
300ml boiling water
2 sprigs fresh thyme/ 1tsp dried thyme
300ml brown rice
400ml boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans
METHOD
I use our slow cooker for this delicious one pot meal. Preheat on high for 15 mins with lid on. You could cook slowly in your main oven, at about 130°C, if you don't have one.
Stab each thigh 2 or 3 times. Rub with jerk seasoning. Place chopped toms, baked beans, onion, garlic and remaining spices into slow cooker...mix well. Add soy sauce, jelly stock and water. Stir until jelly has dissolved. Add chicken pieces making sure they are submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. DO NOT PEEP DURING THIS TIME!!
Add the rice, thyme and 400ml boiling water, stir well. Cook for further two hours on high, then add red kidney beans and cook for another 40 mins.
Serve with runner beans, mini-sweet corn and young courgettes...delicious!
Pudding....
Bramley Apple & Blueberry Crumble
4 large Bramley Apples
100g Raspberries- washed
75g Demerara sugar
2 tblsp water
150g plain flour - sifted
75g butter
25g wheatgerm
25g oatmeal
100g Demerara sugar
METHOD
Peel, core and slice apples. Place into microwaveable dish and add first Demerara sugar and water. Micro for three mins. Meanwhile, make crumble: tip flour and cubed butter into processor. blitz for one minute. add wheatgerm, oatmeal, and second Demerara. As apple finishes, remove from microwave and drain water. Spread into flat ovenproof dish, add raspberries, evenly spaced and top with crumble mixture. Cook at 160°C for 25 mins approx or until golden and bubbling.... Serve with custard, cream or ice cream x
HANDY TIP
When making crumble, I usually make up loads and freeze it. You can use it from frozen. So...here is a bulk recipe in case you are interested.
1.5kg Marriages Organic Plain Flour - I cook/bake loads and find this gives reliable tasty results
750g butter - cubed
250g wheatgerm
250g oatmeal - Mornflake crushed
1kg Demerara sugar
METHOD
As this is so much mixture, I use my Kenwood Chef. So, place flour in mixer, whizz for 10 seconds (equivalent to sieving) then add butter and whizz again until like breadcrumbs. Add wheatgerm, oatmeal and sugar. Finally give it a mix until all combined. This then goes into an airtight (I use a Lock & Lock) box and straight into your freezer. Can be used direct..just shake box a little to loosen.
6 boneless chicken thighs- skinned
1 tsp jerk chicken seasoning
2 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblsp Soy sauce - dark
1 onion - finely chopped
2 garlic cloves - pressed
1 tin chopped tomatoes (we love Suma organic - full and flavoursome)
1 tin baked beans
1 Knorr Stock Pot Jelly - chicken
300ml boiling water
2 sprigs fresh thyme/ 1tsp dried thyme
300ml brown rice
400ml boiling water
1 tin red kidney beans
METHOD
I use our slow cooker for this delicious one pot meal. Preheat on high for 15 mins with lid on. You could cook slowly in your main oven, at about 130°C, if you don't have one.
Stab each thigh 2 or 3 times. Rub with jerk seasoning. Place chopped toms, baked beans, onion, garlic and remaining spices into slow cooker...mix well. Add soy sauce, jelly stock and water. Stir until jelly has dissolved. Add chicken pieces making sure they are submerged. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. DO NOT PEEP DURING THIS TIME!!
Add the rice, thyme and 400ml boiling water, stir well. Cook for further two hours on high, then add red kidney beans and cook for another 40 mins.
Serve with runner beans, mini-sweet corn and young courgettes...delicious!
Pudding....
Bramley Apple & Blueberry Crumble
4 large Bramley Apples
100g Raspberries- washed
75g Demerara sugar
2 tblsp water
150g plain flour - sifted
75g butter
25g wheatgerm
25g oatmeal
100g Demerara sugar
METHOD
Peel, core and slice apples. Place into microwaveable dish and add first Demerara sugar and water. Micro for three mins. Meanwhile, make crumble: tip flour and cubed butter into processor. blitz for one minute. add wheatgerm, oatmeal, and second Demerara. As apple finishes, remove from microwave and drain water. Spread into flat ovenproof dish, add raspberries, evenly spaced and top with crumble mixture. Cook at 160°C for 25 mins approx or until golden and bubbling.... Serve with custard, cream or ice cream x
HANDY TIP
When making crumble, I usually make up loads and freeze it. You can use it from frozen. So...here is a bulk recipe in case you are interested.
1.5kg Marriages Organic Plain Flour - I cook/bake loads and find this gives reliable tasty results
750g butter - cubed
250g wheatgerm
250g oatmeal - Mornflake crushed
1kg Demerara sugar
METHOD
As this is so much mixture, I use my Kenwood Chef. So, place flour in mixer, whizz for 10 seconds (equivalent to sieving) then add butter and whizz again until like breadcrumbs. Add wheatgerm, oatmeal and sugar. Finally give it a mix until all combined. This then goes into an airtight (I use a Lock & Lock) box and straight into your freezer. Can be used direct..just shake box a little to loosen.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Pork Sage and Tomato Stew
1 pork tenderloin ~ £4 approx trim any connective tissue/fat - chop into pieces about 2cm x 2cm - toss in seasoned flour
1 lge organic red onion - diced
1 clove garlic -pressed
1 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp fresh sage - chopped
(1 tblsp dried sage if fresh not avail)
100ml vegetable stock
1 tin organic chopped tomatoes (I use Suma, no cores, full tin and loads of toms not half juice!)
1 tin cannelini , butter or black-eye beans
METHOD
Preheat oven to 140°C
Heat olive oil and gently cook onion until transparent, cook garlic without colour. Add chopped pork and cook until browned all over.
Add hot stock and stir into meat mixture; add tomatoes and beans.
Warm through, stir through chopped sage and turn mixture into large casserole dish with lid.
Place dish on tray and into oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
If you scrub and oil some baking potatoes and place these in the oven on an upper shelf to the stew, they make a good accompaniment. Just increase the heat for the last ten mins.
Serve with some lightly boiled carrots, some shredded English kale gently sautéed in butter and some corn on the cob, boiled and finished in butter and black pepper.
1 lge organic red onion - diced
1 clove garlic -pressed
1 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp fresh sage - chopped
(1 tblsp dried sage if fresh not avail)
100ml vegetable stock
1 tin organic chopped tomatoes (I use Suma, no cores, full tin and loads of toms not half juice!)
1 tin cannelini , butter or black-eye beans
METHOD
Preheat oven to 140°C
Heat olive oil and gently cook onion until transparent, cook garlic without colour. Add chopped pork and cook until browned all over.
Add hot stock and stir into meat mixture; add tomatoes and beans.
Warm through, stir through chopped sage and turn mixture into large casserole dish with lid.
Place dish on tray and into oven and cook for 1.5 hours.
If you scrub and oil some baking potatoes and place these in the oven on an upper shelf to the stew, they make a good accompaniment. Just increase the heat for the last ten mins.
Serve with some lightly boiled carrots, some shredded English kale gently sautéed in butter and some corn on the cob, boiled and finished in butter and black pepper.
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
Autumn ideas 1
A little about me.....
Having looked after a home, husband and family for 31years and found such joy in doing so, I would love to share some of my experiences with you. My husband is a Minister and so we have lived on a stipend; when money is tight, you find ways of making food and provisions go further thank they otherwise would! I am a trained chef so do have expertise with food. That does not mean that the food ideas I share here will be tricky...do come back and look for ideas and inspiration. I hope you enjoy that which I share.
Best wishes
Rachel
Autumn food ...
At this wonderful time of year when our gardens are bursting forth with goodness and the hedgerows are delivering free gluts of brambles, it is time to prepare to fill our cupboards and freezers for the year. 2012 may not have been the best growing year, yet we can still make the most of natures's bounty and save produce for later on this year and into 2013.
Join with me in making carefully and buying and preparing in bulk; you will save time, effort and money. Think of all those things you can do with the extra time you find on your hands!
Look out for the first recipes....soon to be published!
Look out for the first recipes....soon to be published!
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