Chicken Salad with Garlic Mayonnaise

A simple salad made with chunks of chicken breast from the fridge, slices of orange pepper, half of a julienned purple onion,  plus two spoonfuls of mayonnaise containing finely diced garlic from three medium sized cloves. Stir together, and allow to stand for ten to fifteen minutes. 

The recipe could be augmented with other ingredients, such as diced apple, celery, spring onion, etc. A good basis for a number of dishes. 

 

Leek Burgers, with Piccolo Tomatoes and Mayonnaise

I made half a dozen of these leek burgers from scratch, with a slightly different process from before. I added two dessert spoonfuls of spelt flour to a large glass bowl, and then added the 500g of minced beef. I had some diced leek in a pan of boiling water on the stove, with the intention of cooking the leek until soft. 

I mixed the ground beef the drizzle of olive oil, and the spelt flour together thoroughly by hand. Do this for ten minutes, and you will get a good texture, much finer than when you cook mince on the stove. I added the egg and the softened leek (after being allowed to cool) And repeated the kneading process for ten minutes. 

I decanted the mixture into a pastry cutter sitting in a glass roasting tray, and repeated the process, and  ended up with six equal-sized beef patties. No need to shape by hand. 

Cooked at 180 deg C on the middle shelf of the oven for at least twenty-five minutes (check progress by eye always!). When  browned and cooked, remove from the oven, and allow to cool on the hob or on a trivet under cover. 

Served with a couple of dessert spoonfuls of mayonnaise, some halved piccolo tomatoes, all dusted with a large pinch of dried coriander leaf. 

 

Oregon Trail Style Pork and Beans

Roast pork from a joint cooked on the middle shelf of an oven at 180 deg C for two hours (1.5kg). Allowed to cool, and then drained of liquid pork fat. Stored overnight in the fridge, and cut into pieces the next day. The crackling was removed with a sharp knife, and the solid pork fat was also removed from the pork pieces. 

Some of the pork pieces were cooked in a medium sized pan in a drizzle of olive oil for twenty-five minutes at a low heat, along with strips of orange pepper, which adds some sweetness to the dish. Then I added a couple of desert spoonfuls of water, and a squirt of tomato puree, plus some freshly ground black pepper. Stirred together and heated under glass until most of the liquid had evaporated. Then I added half a 400g can of standard baked beans in tomato sauce. Stir together. 

Serve once the beans are thoroughly heated. Delicious!

 

Bacon, Egg and Hash Browns

Simple and delicious brunch, with pan fried hash browns, fried bacon, and fried eggs, served with black pepper, a pinch of salt, and American mustard. 

The hash browns were cooked in a small pan for twenty five minutes at a low to medium heat, in sunflower oil. Watch carefully, and turn occasionally. 

The bacon came from a pack of cooking bacon. Normally these consist of rashers which didn't quite make the aesthetic grade, but what I was working with was a solid block of bacon. I cut it up with a serrated knife. Fried slowly for half an hour, the last fifteen minutes of which were under glass. 

Eggs cooked for five minutes at a lowish heat in the bacon fat, and dosed with a pinch of salt. 

 

Bramley Apple Turnover

Shop bought apple turnover (a treat), served with single cream. Essentially stewed apples and some sugar, folded in light pastry, and cooked in the oven. In addition to the cream, I served this with a dusting of cinnamon, which is a great accompaniment to apples. 

 

Strawberries in Bourbon, with Walnut pieces and Single Cream

A fruit salad, with halved strawberries and Kentucky Bourbon whiskey, plus some white wine (Soave). Allowed to marinate for a few days in the fridge.  Served with walnut pieces and single cream. 

 

Devilled Chicken

Chicken Breast marinaded in a salsa made with tomato puree, black pepper, a pinch of paprika, crushed garlic, a quarter teaspoonful of red chilli powder, a pinch of dried rosemary, a dash of soy sauce, plus some Cox's 'Bloody Mary Spice' (optional!).

The spicy salsa was rubbed into the chicken inside a sandwich bag, and then was put in the fridge for two hours. Cooked in an open casserole dish on the middle shelf of the oven at 180 deg C for 45 minutes. 

The chipped potatoes were marinaded in olive oil and salt for an hour and a half, and then drained. Grilled in a roasting dish for 25 minutes (judge progress by eye).