Cubed Beef with Roast Parsnips

The cubed beef was browned with sunflower oil in a pan for about half an hour, stirring every minute or so. A gravy was prepared with cornflour, paprika, vegetable and beef stock, and two bay leaves. Once the beef was properly browned, the gravy was added, and the ensemble was left to simmer at a low heat under glass for 90 minutes, until the beef was tender. 

The parsnips were peeled, topped & tailed, and rough cut into chip shapes, with a large-bladed kitchen knife. They were placed in a pyrex roasting dish while the oven was pre-heating to around 190-200 deg. C. I made a coating to brush on to the chips with some tomato puree, sunflower oil, paprika, and oregano. The brushed parsnips were roasted for around 35 minutes in the middle of the oven, until golden brown. They were removed once for turning with a pair of tongs. 

Cubed Beef with Roast Parsnips

Spicy Chicken, Chive & Tomato Soup

Made with the remains of an arrabiata sauce and chopped and skinned roast chicken, along with the chicken jelly in the roasting dish (after removing the fat). I added two more chillies, two shredded vine tomatoes, and a handful of finely chopped fresh chives. Also a pinch of paprika, freshly sliced garlic, chicken stock, fresh basil, and a sprinkling of dried oregano. Plus a handful of khorasan wheat grains (skip this if you want a wheat-free soup). Simmer for 45 minutes.

Spicy Chicken, Chive & Tomato Soup

Chicken Arrabiata

Pollo Arrabiata. Roast breast of chicken, steamed in a sauce made with chopped tinned tomatoes, onions, chopped green chillies, two pinches of sea salt, basil, and chopped garlic,

The sauce was simmered for one hour and allowed to cool. The chicken was added and steamed for 25 minutes before serving.  The dish was served with boiled potato and black pepper. Authentically Italian. Simple and delicious! 

Chicken Arrabiata

Stuffed Cherry Pepper salad

Cherry peppers stuffed with Feta and Mizithra cheese, green olives stuffed with pimientos, chopped iceberg lettuce, dressed in olive oil and a little vinegar, chopped onion, finely chopped chives, chopped green pepper. Chopped spinach leaves would be a good addition to this dish, and enhance the Greekness of the combo. Serve with black pepper. 

The stuffed cherry peppers were bought in Aldi's. In addition to the peppers and the cheese, a range of herbs have been added, However this isn't a wheat free recipe, because there is some wheat starch present in the stuffed peppers (at a very low level). A quick and easy meal. 

Stuffed Cherry Pepper salad

Ham, Eggs, and Hash Browns

Sliced roasted leg pork, shallow fried in a skillet for fifteen minutes under a glass lid, occasionally turned, along with left over boiled potatoes. Plust two fried eggs, sunny side up. Served with Dijon mustard. 

Ham, Eggs, and Hash Browns

Pork and Mushroom Stew

Joint of leg-pork cooked in the oven for two and a half hours. The crackling and fat were removed once the joint had cooled. The pork was cut into slices with an electric carving knife.

Pork slices were cut into strips, about two centimetres wide, and then divided in half. They were cooked with chopped tomatoes, and ten finely chopped white mushrooms. The jelly from the initial roasting vessel was kept overnight in the fridge in a small container. The fat which solidified on top was removed with a spoon, and the jelly was added to the stew. I added a ham stock cube in place of salt, fresh coriander and basil, plus dried oregano, and two pinches of of paprika, and a liberal amount of black pepper. Cook for half an hour to forty-five minutes. 

Served with basmati rice, wild black rice, and red camargue rice, cooked for 30 minutes.  

Pork and Mushroom Stew

Beef and Green Pepper Chilli

The ground or minced beef had 20% fat content. This is good for cooking, but it is better that most of it is removed after the cooking process. 

The beef was browned in a little sunflower oil for about half an hour. During that time I cut green and yellow peppers into thin strips, and then diced the strips. I also sliced eight white mushrooms, four or five green finger chillies, garlic, and chopped up an onion. Other vegetables can be used instead, or in addition. I did not add red kidney beans to the chilli, just for a change. I love them, but they aren't necessary for a good chilli dish. 

When the ground beef was properly browned, I added the vegetables to the pot, and stirred them into the beef for about ten minutes at a moderate heat. After that I added some freshly boiled water, and added a tin of chopped tomatoes and some beef stock. The mix was stirred together for a few minutes, then I turned down the heat to let the mixture simmer, with a glass lid on the pot.

The chilli was ready after an hour of intermittent stirring, but the beef is more tender if it is allowed to simmer slowly for another hour, as in this case. By this time most of the chopped peppers have dissolved, but their characteristic flavour remains.  

I decanted the chilli into a tall jar once it had mostly cooled. The fat in the chilli rises to the top, and once it is cold, it can be scooped off the top with a spoon. So now the chilli contains lean beef :-). This way of preparing the dish with high fat ground beef requires that you prepare it the day before it will be reheated and served. 

The Green Beans were prepared in boiling water (fifteen minutes of simmer), with a little salt. 

Beef and Green Pepper Chilli

Jersey Milk Pancakes

Pancakes made with Jersey whole milk, two eggs, and pasta flour, topped with maple syrup. So not a wheat-free recipe. I normally use cornflour, which would make these pancakes wheat-free - the procedure is the same. 

Flour, eggs and milk mixed thoroughly in a measuring jug (you can use a handmixer in a bowl first), and poured into a small pan with a shallow level of sunflower oil at a high heat. 

Cook for a couple of minutes each side until ready (flipping if you are good at it. Otherwise a fish-slice will do). Serve immediately. Delicious!

Jersey Milk Pancakes

Minestrone Soup

Wheat-free Minestrone soup. Based on a Tomato and Celery soup on the previous day, made with vine and plum tomato, celery, carrot,  onion, and vegetable stock. With basil, rosemary, nutmeg, white pepper, paprika, and fenugreek. 

I added black lentils, green peas, yellow split peas, wheat-free pasta spirals, broken spaghetti, chopped red pepper and chestnut mushroom, mushroom stock, and chopped garlic. Plus basil, thyme, a little tarragon, and mustard powder as an emulsifier.

Served with wheat-free bread and salted butter. 

Wheat-free Minestrone Soup

Sweet Parsnip and Pepper Soup

Made with two parsnips, some boiled potato, two diced green peppers, yellow pepper,  chopped spring onion, garlic, grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, chicken stock, some oregano and sage, and white pepper.

The parsnips were peeled and chopped, and boiled with the potato until soft and then blended with a hand blender. Cooked for another hour with the peppers, spring onion, the stock, the grated cheese, and herbs. When re-heating the soup, stir frequently. Served with black pepper.

Sweet Parsnip and Pepper Soup