Lorne Sausage, with Spiced Beans and Peppered Chips

 Great Sunday breakfast, based around two slices of Lorne Sausage. One sliced tomato and five mushrooms were cooked in the same skillet. 

The peppered potato chips were roasted in the oven, after being dressed in some olive oil. Cooked from scratch in about 40 minutes. The beans were cooked on the hob for about ten minutes, after the addition of the herbs and spices. The entire dish was added to some diced spinach leaves. 

Delicious! That's about as good as it gets with Lorne Sausage. Much better than just serving it with fried eggs.

Chicken Torunska

 Another simple dish, made with diced torunska sausage and chicken, plus carrot and leek. Fried, and then I added water and tomato puree. Cooked for half an hour. The sweet potato wedges were cooked in a lidded casserole dish, after being soused in some vinegar, paprika, rosemary and basil. Plus a little black pepper. For about forty minutes (watch by eye).

Beef and Chickpea Curry

 Excellent beef curry, made with ground Scotch beef. The chickpeas were softened in a slow cooker over several hours, and the beef was browned in a flat pan in a little olive oil for an hour and a half at a low to medium heat. I added diced mushrooms, a red chilli, and a julienned red onion. 

Water was added to the beef along with the chickpeas, and was simmered for a couple of hours, after which the herbs and spices were added. The Madras curry powder was the most important of these. 

Served with some fresh coriander, Basmati rice, and Pataks Lime pickle. 

Carrot & Yellow Pea Curry

The yellow peas were soaked overnight, and cooked with the chopped carrot pieces for an hour or so. I added two teaspoonfuls of madras curry powder, one teaspoonful of chilli powder, diced garlic, and a dusting of ground cardamom. Cooked for another hour. After half an hour, I added the chicken stock, and three tablespoons of yoghurt, stirred through. . 

The rice was cooked slowly for twenty minutes or so, and then cooked slowly in a drizzle of sunflower oil under glass for half an hour, until the rice was crispy (but not burned).

Served with a generous helping of mango chutney. 

 

Chicken Broth with Sweetcorn

A delicious broth made with brocolli, celery, chicken, garlic, mushroom, spring onion, sweetcorn, diced cherry tomato, and tomato puree. Plus herbs (oregano and basil), and flavoured with a little cardamom and vegetable and chicken stock.

The vegetables (diced) were cooked at a low heat under glass for forty minutes or so, before the pieces of chicken were added.

The cardamom and the vegetable and chicken stocks were added to the pot, along with the herbs (two pinches, plus some tomato puree. Cook for a further twenty-five minutes at a low heat and under glass.

Serve with freshly ground black pepper.

Beef and Apple Tikka

I'd prepared ground beef beforehand, browned it in some sunflower oil, and cooked with spring onions, diced apple and carrots for twenty minutes, stirring frequently. Afterwards I added boiling water to the pan and cooked the dish under glass for an hour and a half at a low heat.

After which I added tomato Puree, Cardamom seed, Tikka spices, diced garlic, and one large deseeded and diced red chilli. Cooked for another half an hour at a low heat, adding some coriander and oregano.

Served with long grain rice, or basmati if you prefer. Dressed in this case with some diced and steamed curly kale (five minutes), or with some diced fresh coriander leaf.

Salmon and Cod Potato Pie

The base of the pie was a thick vegetable stew (from the fridge) of sweet potato, potato, carrot, diced mushrooms, and spring onion, plus kamut grains, a little chopped red chilli, chopped garlic, and cardamom seed, fresh from three crushed pods.

The fish pieces were placed on top of the vegetable stew in a roasting dish, distributed evenly.

On top of that, a layer of potato mashed with a knob of butter was added (and a little salt and pepper), and textured with a fork.

The roasting tray was placed on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 190 deg C, uncovered. Depending on the depth of the roasting dish, the cooking time will be somewhere between 45 minutes and one hour (it will be properly cooked after 45 minutes, but it may take longer for the desired browning of the potato topping - judge by eye!).

Served with a little American or German mustard.

The fish pieces were sourced from Sainsbury's, who often make up inexpensive packs for making this kind of dish.

Cumberland Sausage Stew, with Sweet Potato and Spring Onion

Chopped Cumberland (pork) sausages, with a vegetable stew of sweet potato, potato, carrot and spring onion, plus kamut grains, red chilli, chopped garlic, and cardamom seed. What is the best and tidiest way to get cardamom seeds out of cardamom pods? I use a metal garlic press.



The sausages had been cooked for an earlier meal, and came with a spring onion and vegetable stock gravy. They were added to the vegetable stew, which had been simmered for about forty five minutes. Chilli, garlic and cardamom seeds had been added, along with more vegetable stock, and two pinches of oregano and one of sage.

Cooked for at least twenty minutes before serving. Serve hot!

Brisket Beef in an Onion and Tomato Gravy

A traditional Jewish dish, made with Brisket beef and a gravy of tomato, onion and carrot, served with brocolli spears, and boiled Maris Piper potatoes.

The brisket joint was about 800g, which is enough to feed six people. This meal was for three people, so I used about half of the joint for the meal.

The joint was first browned in the oven  (180 deg C.) in a roasting dish, for 30 minutes each side. Then it was placed in a large saute pan with salted water, and cooked for four hours, with occasional turning.

That left lots of time for creating the gravy. I batonned two medium-sized carrots, and diced a large Spanish onion. These were cooked for twenty minutes. Then I added sixteen diced cherry tomatoes and cooked the ensemble for a further twenty minutes. Crushed and diced garlic was added, along with tomato puree (or passata), beef and vegetable stock. Two dashes of cardamom, plus Herbes de Provence, Coriander, and Basil were also added.

Since this meal was intended for a dinner party the next day, everything went into the fridge as soon as it had cooled.

The next morning the brisket joint was cut into thin slices using an electric carving knife, against the grain of the beef. Tougher to cut, but it is the best way to do it.

The slices of beef were put into a flat pan with the onion and tomato gravy, and cooked for around half an hour to forty-five minutes, by which time the beef is incredibly tender. During which time I prepared the potatoes and the brocolli. The former cooked for twenty minutes plus, and the brocolli for ten minutes under glass at a low heat.

Served in this case with red wine, and utterly delicious!

[Celery can be added to the ingredients of this dish, as well as bay leaf, and rosemary and thyme. There are lots of variations. All delicious.]

Chickpea Stew

A simple chickpea stew, made with diced fresh coriander, green chilli, and cardamom seed.

Dice a medium-sized red onion, and caramelise it in a pan with sunflower or olive oil. Add batonned carrot, three green finger chillies, and some cubed potato. Stir-fry at a medium heat for fifteen minutes, and then add boiling water.

The chickpeas were soaked overnight. Add to the pan along with tomato puree and the seeds from three crushed cardamom pods. Add some vegetable stock. Simmer under glass for at least half an hour.

Dice a large handful of fresh coriander (including the stems) and add to the pot. Stir through. Cook for another twenty to twenty-five minutes, and then add the other herbs - a generous pinch each of oregano, basil and parsley.

Serve with skinned or semi-skinned potato. Healthy and delicious!

Creamed Beef and Tomato Soup, with Arborio Rice and Garlic

A tasty soup made with some leftover diced roast beef. It contains beef stock, cardamom (two pinches), two diced cloves of garlic, one diced onion, tomato passata (100mls), half a teaspoonful of turmeric, a third of a cup of arborio rice, plus a generous amount of basil.

The diced beef was first stir-fried in a little olive oil, along with the diced onion and the garlic. After ten minutes or so at a medium to high heat, boiling water was added to the pan, along with 250mls of tomato passata (chopped Italian tomatoes will do instead). Stir together thoroughly.

The arborio rice was cooked in a separate pan for about twenty five minutes, and the contents were then decanted (without draining) into the pot of soup. Add the turmeric and the (powdered) cardamom. Stir together, and simmer under glass for another half an hour.

Five or ten minutes before serving, season with basil. Cream with two dessert spoonfuls of double cream (you can skip this if you prefer). Serve with a toasted garlic flatbread.

Beef and Mushroom Curry, with Garlic and Coriander Naan Bread

The cubed beef was browned in a saute pan with a drizzle of sunflower oil. Started at a high heat, and then lowered, stirring regularly.

After ten to fifteen minutes I added two medium sized diced onions, and two diced carrots. Stir-fried for fifteen minutes or so until the onions became semi-transparent.

I added half a green bell pepper, cut into strips. Cooked for another five minutes before I added about half a pint of boiling water, a little tomato puree, and vegetable and beef stock. I added diced pieces of three large mushrooms.

Stirred thoroughly, and simmered under glass at a low heat for another hour and a half, until the beef is deliciously tender.

I added some powdered cumin and cardamom, some turmeric (teaspoonful), a dessert spoonful of hot curry powder from ASDA, and some dried coriander leaf. Simmered for another half an hour before serving.

The Garlic and Coriander Naan bread was made commercially. It had been in the fridge for a few days, so I dampened it on both sides, and allowed it to stand for ten minutes on a drainer, while I fired up the grill. Cook for three or four minutes on both sides, watching carefully to prevent burning the naan.

The combo was served with a dusting of coriander, and a teaspoonful of lime pickle. Delicious!

Leek and Lentil Soup, with Coriander, Cardamom and Cumin

A simple and tasty soup made in an hour. One large leek, a pinch of coriander leaf, seeds from six cardamom pods, a pinch of cumin seed, a dash of turmeric, a handful of green lentils, plus vegetable and chicken stock.

Chop the leek in half lengthways, then chop each half into small pieces, and place in a pan of boiling water along with the lentils. Cook until tender (half an hour to forty-five minutes). Mash the mixture, and add the coriander, cardamom and cumin seed, and the vegetable and chicken stock.

Blitz the soup with a hand blender for about two seconds, and then add the turmeric (adding this ingredient last means your blender will not be stained yellow!). Cook for another fifteen to twenty minutes under glass at a simmer. Ready to serve!

Chicken Dopiaza

Made with 3 cardamom pods, chopped chicken breast, or chicken legs, chicken stock, coriander leaf (desert spoonful), cumin (tsp), hot Madras curry powder (desert spoonful), garlic, ginger (tsp), honey, lemon juice, onion, Peanut Butter, Tomato, Turmeric (a dash), Yoghurt. Served with white basmati rice, black pepper, and yoghurt. 

Make the sauce/marinade first. Mix together the contents of the cardamom pods, the coriander, cumin, curry powder, powdered ginger, garlic, and the turmeric. Open a can of chopped tomatoes and decant into a pan. Add the spices to the pot, and the chicken stock. Add a dessert spoonful of peanut butter, a dessert spoonful of honey, and three dessert spoonfuls of yoghurt. Stir thoroughly. Add the juice of half a lemon, or a whole lime. Bring to the boil and simmer. 

The chicken should be precooked. Chop into chunks, and add to the sauce. Simmer the chicken and sauce for at least thirty minutes under glass. 

Caramelise three large chopped onions in goose fat, or sunflower oil if you prefer, stirring continuously in a skillet for fifteen minutes, until golden brown. Add the onions to to the curry sauce, and stir thoroughly. Cook for a further fifteen minutes at a low heat, and serve. Utterly delicious! 

Beef Chilli with Cardamom and Ginger

Ingredients: Ground beef, Chilli, Mushrooms, Parsnip, Spanish Onion, Chicory (all vegetables chopped), Tomato puree, Black Pepper, Garlic, Cardamom seed, Ginger, Cumin and Paprika, plus beef and vegetable stock.

The beef mince had 20% fat, so after it was browned and allowed to simmer in water for an hour, it was decanted into a glass bowl and allowed to cool to room temperature. Then the fat was spooned from the top and disposed of.

The remaining contents of the bowl were decanted into a saute pan and brought to the boil. The chopped vegetables and the herbs were added, and left to simmer for an hour, with the occasional stir. Served with Basmati rice, cooked in water with a little clarified butter, and some lime pickle.

Beef Chilli with Cardamom and Ginger

Spiced Lamb with Rice

Ingredients are: minced lamb, onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, tamarind paste, cumin, red pepper, chickory, cardamom, potato, carrot and lamb stock.

Lamb mince was browned in a glass-lidded pot for about half-an hour. Water and lamb stock was added to the pot, then diced potato and carrot, half a head of chopped chickory, a sliced white onion, and a whole red pepper cut into small strips. Followed by the garlic, ginger and chopped finger chillies. The cinnamon, tamarind paste, cumin and the cardamoms were added after a further hour of simmering under glass. 

Served with basmati rice, or a steamed vegetable, such as stringless beans. 

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Spiced Lamb with Rice

Spiced Lamb with Stringless Beans