Smoked Pork and Leek Soup

Some smoked pork trimmings in the fridge needed to be used, so I put together this soup. The soup base is essentially half a courgette (diced), one medium sized leek cut into wheels, and one carrot (grated with a rotary grater). Plus a diced handful of fresh coriander, salt, and some ham (or pork) stock. The vegetables were first fried in some rape seed oil (ten minutes at a medium heat).

I added a generous amount of boiling water (about one pint).

I diced about 200g of the pork trimmings and added them to the pot about half an hour later. Cooked at a medium heat under glass for at least 90 minutes.

Completely delicious!
 

Spaghetti in Chilli Sauce

It is what it is. Spaghetti in a chilli sauce. You can make the sauce yourself if you like. Obviously this could be the basis of a hundred different dishes. I used wheat-free spaghetti because I gave up on wheat about twenty years ago. 

 

Winter Salad, with Ham, Apple, grated Carrot, and Spring Onion

Another one of those salads which can be put together in less than five minutes. The beetroot came from a jar (pickled), the ham came from the local supermarket, as did the apple, carrot, and spring onion. Dressed in a little dried coriander.
 

Egg Noodles with Yellow Pepper, Spring Onion, and Green Beans

 A simple vegetarian dish. The diced vegetables were cooked first in a wok with a little rapeseed oil (five to seven minutes at a medium heat). The noodles were prepared in another pan of boiled water (about five minutes - judge by eye). Add the noodles to the wok and stir together for about four minutes or so at a medium heat. Serve and dress with soy sauce. 

Blackberries and Diced Plum in Single Cream

 Great fruit salad, quick and easy. You can add pecan nuts if you have them in your larder. 

Smoked Ham Offcuts with Egg and Potatoes

Bargain smoked Ham offcuts from Aldi, served cold, with fried egg and boiled semi-skinned potatoes. The egg was cooked in a little rape seed oil. Dressed in freshly ground black pepper. 

 

Hungarian Goulash

Some leftover diced scotch beef, transformed into hungarian goulash, with lashings of paprika and smoked paprika, plus diced garlic. The  brussels sprouts were prepared in Italian style. 
 

Vegetable Stir-Fry

 Fabulous stir-fry made with white cabbage, dark cabbage, beansprouts, carrot strips, chunks of yellow pepper, white onion, red chilli, diced and pressed garlic, and black pepper. I used rape seed oil in the wok.

Lamb and Cinnamon Stew, with flat Noodles

 Ground lamb, with chickpeas, red pepper, spring onion, courgette and carrot (both spiralised before being added to the stew). With some added ground cinnamon. Plus lamb stock and vegetable stock. 

The lamb was cooked the day before for about two hours at a medium heat under glass until tender. Cooked again for another forty-five minutes with the spiralised vegetables. 

Served with flat chinese noodles (Blue Dragon brand in this case). The noodles were salted and infused with some sesame oil. 

Stuffed Red Pepper, with Minced Beef and Chickpeas

 I diced Polish red peppers and cooked them with the leek and the carrots and the chickpeas for about 25 minutes. Then I added the minced beef, and oven roasted the whole assemblage of red pepper and the minced beef for another forty-five minutes under glass at a low to medium heat (stir frequently!). I added half a dozen bay leaves.

Remove the bay leaves as you find them. Serve with a baby leaf salad or Spinach leaves.  

Torunska sausage and Mushroom breakfast

 Diced mushroom and a quarter of a red pepper, a couple of spring onions, plus sliced Torunska sausage. About twelve minutes to cook in a small pan. Served with a baby leaf lettuce salad. 

Torunska (Copernicus) Sausage, with Spinach and Baked Beans

 Spinach leaves dressed in freshly ground black pepper; baked beans dressed in coriander leaf and dried basil, plus fried torunska sausage, slightly browned. Cook the sausage for about ten minutes or so, moving the sausage around the skillet. No oil necessary, since the sausage cooks in its own fat. A favourite dish. 

Fruit Salad, with Chocolate Cake

 A fruit salad of blueberries and raspberries. The chocolate cake was made separately of course. Made with khorasan wheat, oats, yeast, and ground chocolate. Cooked in the oven for about 45 minutes (watch by eye). Allowed to cool, and then diced into small squares. Served with single cream.  A very satisfying dish.

Minced beef, with Spaghetti

 A jar of Polish preserved red peppers had been sitting at the back of a cupboard for a while, and I decided to open it. I diced the peppers and cooked them with the leek and the carrots and the chickpeas for about 25 minutes. Then I added the minced beef, and cooked the whole assemblage for another forty-five minutes under glass at a low to medium heat (stir frequently!). I added water a couple of times, plus half a dozen bay leaves. 

Served with Italian made wheat free spaghetti (Sainsbury's) and black pepper (remove the bay leaves). 

Creamed Chicken and Leek Soup

 Wonderful soup, made with diced leek cooked in rape seed oil for twenty minutes, and half a breast of chicken, diced into small pieces. Cooked in milk and vegetable stock, and then I added single cream to the dish. Cooked for an hour. Delicious!