Smoky Pots for Gunpowder Plots

Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s blog. The recipes this week are in aide of a great British tradition, the remembrance of a treasonable act Guy Fawkes night aka Bonfire Night.

So this week’s recipes are: – Smoky Pork & Boston Beans One-Pot, Smoky Aubergine Tagine with Lemon & Apricots and Smoky Mexican Meatball Stew.

 

My first recipe is Smoky Pork & Boston Beans One-Pot Recipe by Katy Gilhooly, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine October 2015.

 

Serves 4, Prep 15mins, Cook 40mins

 

2tbsp x Olive Oil

2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed

2tbsp x Smoked Paprika

500g x Pork Loin Steaks, quartered

2 x 400g Cans of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

400g x Passata

2tsp x Chipotle Paste

1tbsp x Dark Soft Brown Sugar

100g x Ham Hock, in large shreds

4 x Slices of Crusty White Bread

A Small Handful of Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped

 

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the oil, garlic and paprika together and rub into the pork. In a large, shallow ovenproof dish, mix the cannellini beans, passata, chipotle, sugar and ham hock. Nestle the pork into the beans. Bake in the oven for 40 mins until the pork is cooked through.

Toast the bread and serve on the side. Sprinkle the parsley over the pork and beans to serve.

 

 

My second recipe is Smoky Aubergine Tagine with Lemon & Apricots Recipe by Sarah Cook, courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine August 2015.

 

Serves 4, Prep 20mins, Cook 1hr

 

2 x Aubergines, cut into large chunks

3tbsp x Olive Oil

2 x Onions, chopped

2tbsp x Freshly Grated Ginger

1½tsp x Ras el Hanout

1½tsp x Sweet Smoked Paprika

A Good Pinch of Saffron

300ml x Hot Vegetable or Chicken Stock

2 x Preserved Lemons, rind of both sliced, pulp from the centre of 1 roughly chopped

120g x Dried Apricots, halved

200g x Tomatoes, roughly chopped

1tbsp x Clear Honey

Zest of 1 Lemon, juice ½

2tsp x Toasted Sesame Seeds

2tbsp x Finely Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

2tbsp x Finely Chopped Mint

Greek Yogurt, to serve (optional)

Wholemeal Bulghar Wheat, to serve (optional)

 

Brown the aubergines in 2 tbsp of the oil so they’re golden on all sides, but not soft in the middle yet – this is best done in batches in a large, non-stick frying pan.

Heat a heavy-based shallow lidded pan or flameproof tagine with the remaining oil, then add the onions, ginger and spices, and fry gently until softened and golden.

Meanwhile, add the saffron to the stock to soak. Stir the preserved lemon rind and pulp, apricots, tomatoes, honey and lemon juice into the onions with the saffron stock. Snugly fit the aubergines in, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 mins until the aubergines are tender. Season to taste.

Mix together the lemon zest, sesame seeds and chopped herbs, and sprinkle over the tagine. Serve with Greek yogurt and wholemeal bulghar wheat, if you like.

 

 

And the final recipe is Smoky Mexican Meatball Stew Recipe courtesy BBC Good Food Magazine February 2012.

 

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 35mins

 

1½tbsp x Olive Oil

1 x Large Onion, finely chopped

400g x Beef Mince

50g x Fresh White Breadcrumbs

1tsp each of Ground Cumin & Coriander

1½tbsp x Chipotle Paste

200g x Basmati Rice

1 x 400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes

1 x 400g Can of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

A Small Handful of Coriander, to serve

 

Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion for 8-10 mins until soft, then remove from the pan.

Meanwhile, place the mince, breadcrumbs, spices and chipotle paste in a bowl, season generously and mix thoroughly. Roll mixture into 20 walnut-sized meatballs. Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the meatballs for about 8 mins until brown all over.

Meanwhile, cook the rice following pack instructions. Return the onion to the pan, adding the tomatoes, as well as a can full of water. Simmer for 5 mins, then add the kidney beans and cook for a further 10 mins, until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are cooked through. Season the meatballs, scatter with coriander and serve with the rice.

Spooktacularly Ghoulish Recipes for All Your Monsters

The recipes this week are especially for Halloween, they are: – Goulash in a Dash, Maggoty Apples & Pumpkin & Bacon Soup

 

The first is Goulash in a Dash, courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com first appeared in GoodFood Magazine February 2005.

Serves 4 Ready in 30 mins

1tbsp x Vegetable Oil
300g x Stir-Fry Beef Strips or minute steak cut into strips
100g x Chestnut Mushrooms, quartered
2tsp x Paprika
500g x Potatoes, peeled and cut into smallish chunks
600ml x Hot Organic Beef Stock
500ml x Pasatta
A Handful of Parsley Leaves, roughly chopped
Natural Bio Yogurt , to serve

 

Heat half the oil in a large non-stick pan and fry the beef for 2 mins, stirring once halfway through. If your pan is small, do this in two batches. Tip the meat onto a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the pan (no need to clean) and fry the mushrooms for 2-3 mins until they start to colour.
Sprinkle the paprika over the mushrooms, fry briefly, then tip in potatoes, stock and tomato sauce. Give it all a good stir, cover and simmer for 20 mins until the potatoes are tender. Return the beef to the pan along with any juices, and warm through. Stir in the parsley and a swirl of yogurt, then serve straight from the pan.

 

My next recipe is Maggoty Apples Recipe by Miriam Nice, courtesy of BBC GoodFood Magazine October 2015.

Serves 6, Prep 20mins + Chilling time, no Cooking

6 x Apples (such as Braeburns)

Juice of ½ Lemon

100g x White Chocolate

50g x Puffed Rice

Jelly Worm Sweets (optional)

 

Core the apples, starting at the base and trying to keep the stalk ends intact. Use a blunt table knife or melon baller to scoop out any remaining bits of seeds and core if you need to. You can also use a metal skewer to make 1 or 2 holes in the sides. Brush the cut parts of the apples with lemon juice and put on a plate or board.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water to melt. Once melted, stir in the puffed rice, then remove from the heat. Using a teaspoon, pack the chocolate and puffed rice mixture into the apples, sticking a few into the smaller holes and on the top to look like they’re crawling out. Transfer the apples to the fridge for around 20 mins to set.

Spoon any remaining mixture into a mini muffin tin lined with paper petit four cases and put in the fridge to set along with the apples.

Once the chocolate has set, peel away the paper cases and put the ‘maggot balls’ around the apples. Add a few wriggly jelly worms too, if you dare.

 

And finally, Pumpkin & Bacon Soup Recipe by Tom Kerridge, courtesy of BBC GoodFood Magazine October 2016.

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 1hr 10mins

 

1 tbsp x Vegetable Oil

50g x Butter

1 x Onion, finely chopped

150g x Maple-Cured Bacon, cut into small pieces

500g x Pumpkin Flesh (cut into medium chunks)

1Ltr x Chicken Stock

100ml x Double Cream

3 tbsp x Pumpkin Seeds, toasted

Maple Syrup, for drizzling

 

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil with 25g butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook on a low heat for 10 mins or until soft. Add 60g bacon and cook for a further 5 mins until the bacon releases its fat. Then increase the heat to medium, add the pumpkin and stock and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 40 mins until the pumpkin is soft. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil again and remove from the heat. Set aside some of the liquid, then blend the remaining pumpkin until smooth and velvety, adding liquid back into the pan bit by bit as you go (add more liquid if you like it thinner). Strain through a fine sieve, check the seasoning and set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a pan over a high heat and fry the rest of the bacon with black pepper for 5 mins. Divide the bacon between four bowls, reheat the soup and pour over. To serve, sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and drizzle with maple syrup.

It’s Not Another Tequila Sunrise

The UK woke up to orange tinged skies as Ophelia’s winds brought sand particles up from the Sahara desert, plus debris from the forest fires in Portugal and Spain, resulting in dramatic vistas of fiery sunrise skies. A “yellow” severe weather warning for strong winds was raised on Sunday 15^th October for Northern Ireland, Southern Scotland and Northern England, however in Northern Ireland it was increased to an “amber” weather warning the following day as Ophelia’s destructive power was becoming evident.

So this week’s recipes are led by a nod to Ophelia’s fiery skies Virgin Sunrise, Quick Chicken Chasseur & Moroccan Chickpea Soup.

 

My first recipe is a mocktail in honour of Monday’s fiery storm effected sunrise :-

Virgin Sunrise Recipe by Colleen Graham courtesy of http://www.thespruce.com

Serves 1, Prep 3mins, No cooking time

 

120ml x Fresh Orange Juice

15ml (1 tbsp) x Grenadine

Orange slice for garnish

Ice

 

Fill a highball glass with ice and orange juice. Slowly pour grenadine over the juice. It will sink to the bottom and slowly rise to the top as you drink. Garnish with an orange slice.

 

My next recipe is Quick Chicken Chasseur Recipe courtesy of Good Food Magazine March 2007.

Serves 4, Prep 5mins, Cook 20mins

8 x Streaky Bacon Rashers, chopped into large pieces

4 x Chicken Breasts, cut into large chunks

1 x 200g Baby Button Mushrooms

1 tbsp x Plain Flour

1 x 400g tin of Chopped Tomatoes with Garlic

1 x Beef Stock Cube

A Dash of Worcestershire Sauce

A Handful Chopped Parsley

 

Heat a shallow saucepan and sizzle the bacon for about 2 mins until starting to brown. Throw in the chicken, then fry for 3-4 mins until it has changed colour. Turn up the heat and throw in the mushrooms. Cook for a few mins, stir in the flour, then cook until a paste forms.

Tip in the tomatoes, stir, then crumble in the stock cube. Bubble everything for 10 mins, splash in the Worcestershire sauce, stir through the parsley, then serve with mash or boiled rice.

 

And my final recipe Moroccan Chickpea Soup Recipe courtesy of BBC Good Food Magazine February 2005.

Serves 4, Prep 5mins, Cook 20mins

 

1 tbsp x Olive Oil

1 x Medium Onion, chopped

2 x Celery Sticks, chopped

2 tsp x Ground Cumin

600ml x Hot Vegetable Stock

1 x 400g Can of Chopped Plum Tomatoes with Garlic

1 x 400g Can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

100g x Frozen Broad Beans

Zest and Juice of ½ Lemon

A Large Handful Coriander or Parsley and flatbread, to serve

 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion and celery gently for 10 mins until softened, stirring frequently. Tip in the cumin and fry for another min.

Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper. Simmer for 8 mins. Throw in broad beans and lemon juice, cook for a further 2 mins. Season to taste, then top with a sprinkling of lemon zest and chopped herbs. Serve with flatbread.

Don’t Be Rash About These Hash Recipes

Some of the tastiest comfort foods are made from the simplest and cheapest ingredients. People think that because some is made with cheap ingredients, it’s not going to taste very nice. However, one of the most staple comfort foods know in the UK is Corned Beef Hash, not only is it filling and cheap, but it’s also quick to make.

So, this week’s recipes are all hash recipes in one form or another, along with the seasonal produce available in the UK during October. They are: – Corned Beef Hash, Crab Watercress Tomato and New Potato Hash & Bacon and Tuna Hash

 

Corned Beef Hash by Katy Greenwood, Courtesy of BBC GoodFood Magazine March 2014

Serves 4 people, Prep 10 mins, Cooking time 25mins

 

500g x Potato, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp x Vegetable Oil

1 x Onion, roughly chopped

1 x 340g can of Corned Beef, cut into cubes

2 tbsp x Worcestershire Sauce

Baked Beans and a little Curly Parsley, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)

 

Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 6-7 mins, then drain.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the onion for 3-4 mins over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and corned beef, and push down with a spatula to crisp up, cooking for about 5 mins. Turn the mixture over, trying not to beak up the meat and potatoes too much, then add the Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another 5 mins, pushing down to crisp the base again. Season a little, then serve with baked beans and a sprinkling of parsley, if you like.

 

Crab, Watercress, Tomato And New Potato Hash Recipe by Anna Berrill, courtesy of www. redonline.co.uk

Serves 2, Approx. prep and cooking times 10/15mins to prep, 20mins to cook

 

9 /10 (500g) x Medium-Sized New Potatoes

2 x Onions

Butter and Olive Oil, for frying

2 x Medium Tomatoes

Zest of a Lemon

1 x Red Chilli (optional dependant on taste)

2 or 3 x Handfuls of Watercress

200g x Mixed Crabmeat

Sea Salt Flakes

 

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool before halving or cutting into chunks.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions. Heat the butter and a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and when foaming, tip in the onions – cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes, then halve, deseed and finely chop the chili, if using. Roughly chop the watercress.

When the onions are ready, tip them into a bowl and add the tomatoes, lemon zest, chilli, watercress and crabmeat. Toss together.

Add another slug of oil to the frying pan and fry the potatoes over a high heat until golden. Tip in all the other ingredients and toss everything together over the heat until hot and sizzling, adding salt to taste. Eat straight from the pan or pile onto two plates.

 

 

Bacon and Tuna Hash Recipe by The Good Housekeeping Cookery Team, courtesy of http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk. First published July 1999

Serves 4, Prep time 10mins, Cook time 35mins

 

450 g x New Potatoes

Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper

125 g x Streaky Bacon or Lardons

25 g x Butter

1 x Large Onion

125 g x Pitted Green or Black Olives

200 g x can of Tuna in oil

Coriander Sprigs to garnish

 

Cut the potatoes into small chunks and cook in boiling, salted water for 5-10min or until beginning to soften. Drain and set aside. Cut the bacon in 21⁄2 cm (1in) strips.

Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, add the bacon and cook on a medium heat until beginning to brown, then add the roughly chopped onion. Cook for 5min or until soft. Add the potatoes and chopped olives. Turn down the heat and cook for 10min.

Using a spatula, turn the hash over and continue to cook for a further 10min, turning every now and again. Add the drained, flaked tuna and cook for a further 4-5min or until the potatoes are done to the centre and the tuna is hot. Season with black pepper and sea salt and garnish with coriander sprigs.

 

These are the goodies at their best in October

Fruit and Veg

Apples, Aubergine, Bananas, Beetroot, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cavolo Nero, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Fig, Garlic, Globe Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lamb’s Lettuce, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Pak Choi, Parsnip, Pear, Peas, Peppers, Plum, Pomegranate, Pumpkin, Quince, Radicchio, Radish, Runner Bean, Salsify, Spring Onions, Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips

 

Fish & Seafood

Crab, Mackerel, Mussels, Oyster, Whiting

 

Meat

Beef, Chicken, Duck, Goose, Grouse, Guinea Fowl, Lamb, Pork

Teary Byes And Cheery Hi’s

Your teenagers’ lives are all packed into bags, boxes and vehicles of choice already for their big adventure to university. They will be far from their familiar surroundings, cast into a world of unknown opportunities and, soon to be familiar, strangers. However, the one worry for parents (especially mums) are they going to be eating healthily and will they have enough money to do so. Most Uni students supplement their grants by working, in their spare time, for fast food restaurants and supermarkets, whereas some ride out the storm of impending malnourishment by living on a diet of beans and fast noodles.

So this week’s recipes are cheap easy, healthy and are ideal for the budget conscious uni student living away from home, they are Chicken and Bacon Risotto, Easy Peasy Chilli Con Carne and Spicy Turkey Fajitas.

 

My first recipe is Chicken and Bacon Risotto courtesy of Good To Know website.

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 30-35mins

4tbsp x Sunflower Oil
2 x Medium Onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges
4 x Chicken Thighs, skinned and chopped
6 x Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon, chopped
250g x Pudding Rice
2 x Chicken Stock Cubes
200g x Frozen Peas
Salt & ground black pepper
2tbsp x Freshly Chopped Parsley

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add the onion. Cook the onion over a medium heat for about 4-5 mins, until it softens, but not colours. Add the chicken and bacon, and continue to cook over a medium heat for a further 4-5 mins, or until the chicken is cooked.

Add the rice to the pan, and stir it well to coat it in oil. Add the stock cube to the pan and pour in some boiling water, simmer the risotto until the water is almost absorbed and then add more water to the pan. Keep the risotto simmering gently, and add water as required until the rice is almost cooked. As a guide we used about 600ml (1 pint) boiling water in total.

Add the peas to the pan and cook for 3-5 mins, until they are just tender. Check that the rice is cooked and if it still has too much ‘bite’, leave it to cook for a little longer. It should take about 15-20 mins. Season to taste just before serving and sprinkle the parsley over it. Serve immediately. (Not suitable for freezing).

 

My next recipe is Easy Peasy Chilli Con Carne courtesy of Good To Know website.

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 1.1/2hrs

2tbsp x Olive Oil
2 x Onions, chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
1kg x Lean Minced Beef
2 x Glasses of Red Wine (optional but will impact on flavour)
1 x 400g Can of Red Kidney Beans
2 x 400g Cans of Chopped Tomatoes
1 x Green Pepper, roughly chopped
3tbsp x Tomato Purée
2 x Red Chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4tsp x Dried Chilli Flakes
1tsp x Ground Cumin
1tsp x Ground Coriander
1 x Cinnamon Stick
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
1 x Beef Stock Cube
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 x Large Bunch of Coriander, leaves only roughly chopped
Plain Yoghurt, Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche

Fry the onion and garlic in a large, heavy saucepan until softened. Turn up the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and boil for 2-3mins.

Add the tomatoes, green pepper, tomato purée, ground coriander, chilli, cumin, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick.

Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10mins, uncovered, before removing from the heat. Top each portion of chilli con carne with a dollop of plain yoghurt, sour cream or creme fraiche and serve with rice, baked potatoes or crusty bread and a green salad.

 

My final recipe is Spicy Turkey Fajitas courtesy of Good To Know website.

Serves 4, Prep 10mins, Cook 10mins

2 x 150g Packs of Turkey Rashers
1tbsp x Olive Oil
1 x Medium Onion, sliced
1 x Red Pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 x Yellow Pepper, deseeded and sliced
½ tsp x Chilli Powder
½ tsp x Ground Cumin
8 x Flour Tortillas
¼ x Iceberg Lettuce, thinly shredded
1 x 225g Jar of Tomato Salsa

Cut the turkey rashers into 2.5cm-wide strips. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, add the onion and fry for 2mins. Add the peppers and turkey rashers and continue to cook over a high heat for 2-3mins, stirring all the time, add the spices and cook for a further minute.

Put the tortillas onto a plate, cover with cling film and heat in the microwave for 30secs.
To assemble, place a little shredded lettuce on each tortilla, top with a large spoonful of the sizzling turkey mixture. Add a spoonful of the tomato salsa and roll up the tortilla, serve at once.