Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

A bargain bag of Sainsbury's Basics range Vegetable Stir-Fry prompted this dish. I normally don't buy pre-prepared vegetables, but it was a good value purchase, and I can't cut my carrots they way they they do. I bought two chicken breasts, chopped them into strips, fried them in a wok with chopped chillies, cashew nuts, and garlic until they were approaching golden brown. Then I added the stir-fry and cooked at a high heat for a further five minutes. Served on a spiral of Oyster Sauce or Dark Soy. Black Pepper to taste.

Stir Fry ingredients included Green and white cabbage, carrot, white onion, and bean sprouts.  

Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

Carrot and Bacon Soup

A large bag of carrots for 10 pence from the local  Co-op prompted this recipe. The carrots were prepared and boiled for twenty minutes in a saute pan. They were mashed, and then blended with a hand blender. A half cupful of tomato passata was added along with more water. A pinch of paprika too. I added some basil, coriander, thyme and oregano, plus freshly ground black pepper and a vegetable stock.

While the carrots were cooking, escalops of cooking bacon were slow fried in a small skillet, until slightly browned. The bacon was added to the main pot after its contents were blended.

May be served with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or two tablespoonfuls of single cream, and black pepper. Quick and easy. The slices of bread in the picture are from a wheat-free loaf.

Carrot and Bacon Soup

Brown Wheat-Free Bread Loaf

The ingredients for this loaf are: Dove's Farm brown wheat-free flour, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, vinegar, and sunflower oil (or another cooking oil if you prefer). 

Mix thoroughly 450 grams of the brown flour, in a large bowl, with a teaspoon of salt, 7 grams of quick yeast, and two tablespoons of sugar. In another bowl, beat together two eggs with vinegar and 350ml of warm milk. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the beaten eggs and milk mixture, and stir it in slowly (two spoonfuls at a time seems to work ok). Add 6 tablespoonfuls of sunflower oil.

Once thoroughly mixed with a wooden spoon, I used a hand mixer to beat the dough for five minutes or so, gradually increasing the speed of the mixer. After that the dough was left to stand for a while before being transferred to a silicon bread mould (I like these because it is very easy to get the bread out of the mould without damage). Otherwise, grease the tin or use baking paper. Leave to rise for at least an hour. I left this loaf in a cupboard overnight and baked it the next morning. 

I coated the top of the dough with poppy seeds once it was in the baking mould. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes at 200 deg C. Allow half an hour to cool before slicing. Voila!

Brown Wheat-Free Bread Loaf

Oven Baked Pollock Fillet in a Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Pollock fillets wrapped in aluminium foil and roasted in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg. C for twenty minutes. The cheese sauce was made with milk, cornflour, a dash of Soave wine, and coloured Cheddar cheese. The  sauce is worth taking your time over. The milk and cornflower was brought to near boiling from room temperature over twenty minutes, with constant stirring. The Cheddar was thinly sliced, and added during the whole of that time.

The Pollock in its cheese sauce can be served with potatoes, or sliced vine tomatoes, grated Cheddar,  fresh lettuce and white pepper, as in this case.

Oven Baked Pollock Fillet in a Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Red Pepper and Leek Soup

Thin slices of red pepper, some sliced green pepper, two small chopped leeks, one carrot, two shredded vine tomatoes, garlic, one third of a cup of khorasan wheat, paprika, a half-cup of tomato passata, black pepper, vegetable stock, chicken stock, dried sage, and dried oregano.  

Stir-fry the vegetables for twenty minutes at a moderate heat, then add water and the khorasan wheat. Simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally, Add the passata, and simmer for at least another half-hour. Add more water if necessary. Serve with a topping of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. 

Red Pepper and Leek Soup

Bacon Escalopes in a Tomato and Parmegiano Reggiano Sauce

Prepare the escalopes from a block of cooking bacon and fry gently in  olive oil for five minutes each side in a skillet or wok. Add chopped garlic. After the escalopes have cooked, add water and some passata, plus a pinch of paprika, and simmer on the hob for 20 minutes. 

In another pan add half a chopped leek, shredded vine tomato, green pepper, and thin slices of parmegiano reggiano cheese, and some olive oil. Cook at a moderately high heat until most of the cheese has melted (about twenty minutes). Add freshly ground black pepper. 

Add the cooked vegetables to the pan with the escalopes and the passata, and stir them in. Cook for another ten to fifteen minutes, adding sage, basil and oregano to taste. Serve with a topping of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, black pepper, and a side serving of green beans.  

Chopped leek, shredded vine tomato, green pepper, 

and thin slices of parmigiano reggiano cheese,

Bacon Escalopes in a Tomato and Parmigiano Reggiano Sauce

Wheat-Free breaded Fish Cakes

Made with mashed potato and leek, boiled in slightly salted water, and flaked plaice. Allow the mashed potato and leek to cool for about thirty minutes, before adding the flaked plaice (or other whitefish). Stir thoroughly. Make the cakes by hand, and dip in some beaten egg, and turn the cakes in a bowl of finely chopped breadcrumbs made from a wheat free loaf. Shallow fry the cakes in sunflower oil for fifteen to twenty minutes at a moderate heat in a covered pan (to ensure thorough heating) until golden brown.

Served with a dressed salad of lettuce leaves, shredded vine tomato, finely chopped red pepper, spring onion, coriander, mayonnaise and white pepper.

Cakes in a non-stick pan after being turned in wheat-free breadcrumbs 

Wheat-Free breaded Fish Cakes

Spelt Loaf with Poppy Seeds

Recipe for Roman Army style Bread:

500g Wholegrain Spelt flour
half tsp of salt
1tsp of quick yeast.
1tablespoonful of honey.
400ml of warm water.
1tableslpoonfull of olive oil.

Method:

Mix flour and yeast and salt in a large bowl.
Dissolve the honey in the water and mix with the flour.
Add the oil to the dough.
Knead the dough for a few minutes.
Divide the dough between two 500g bread tins.
Cover and leave dough for 25 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven (200C) for 40 to 45 minutes.

That's it! You may have to leave the dough to rise for much longer if you don't use quick yeast. But you can wait until it is ready to be baked, whatever yeast you use. I left it for several hours.

Spelt Loaf with Poppy Seeds

Oven-Baked Plaice

Wrap the Plaice fillets in aluminium foil, seal, and place in a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (about twenty-five minutes to get there), and place on a middle shelf. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes, green beans and lots of white pepper. The fish meat will be very tender and will come away from the dark skin very easily. Delicious!

Oven-Baked Plaice

Seafood Risotto

Brown basmati rice cooked with a little turmeric (takes half an hour). The seafood was blanched in boiled water for five minutes before being transferred to a stirfry pan, and cooked for three minutes at a high heat in sunflower oil. Drain the rice and add to the pan. Reduce heat, and cook for between three and five minutes, stirring more or less continuously. Chopped onion is optional, and should be stirfried for a few minutes before adding the seafood. 

What was in the seafood? Mussels, Surimi seafood pieces, Pollock, Hake, Hoki (fish), and Cold water Prawns, 

Seafood Risotto

Moroccan Style Chickpea Burgers

I didn't actually make these burgers (found in Sainsbury's freezer cabinets). But they are pretty easy to make. Mix  crushed chickpeas, gram flour paste, chopped peppers, cumin and coriander, and make your patties. They can also be made with finely chopped onion. Cook in the oven for about twenty minutes in a closed dish. Turned once or twice. Can also be shallow fried, as in the example illustrated.

Serve with a salad of chopped tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, red onion, and green pepper. 

Moroccan Style Chickpea Burgers