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). 

 

Sweet and Sour Roast Pork

Sweet and sour roast  pork served with brown basmati rice. 

The sweet and sour sauce was made from scratch, with a teaspoonful of arrowroot (as opposed to corn starch or cornflour), two squirts of tomato puree (ketchup will do fine), fish sauce, half a teaspoon of chillli powder, and three teaspoonfuls of sugar. Plus three diced rings of pinapple from a tin, along with a couple of dessert spoonfuls of pinapple juice.

The pork came from two previously roasted pork steaks, which were cut into strips and fried in sunflower oil until slightly browned.  Excellent dish.  

 

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. 

 

Hot Beef Chilli, with Yoghurt and Rice

 

A hot beef chilli, with five finger chillies, plus a level dessert spoonful of chilli powder, one julienned onion, a whole yellow pepper (diced), and a tin of Napolina chopped tomatoes. 

The beef was just 5 per cent fat, which is great in itself, but it makes it more problematic to cook. So I drizzled the flat pan in some sunflower oil before adding the beef. Cooked at a high heat for ten minutes, stirring frequently, then the heat was turned down low. Cooked under glass for half an hour, stirring occasionally. 

Then I added the julienned onion and the diced yellow pepper. Allowed to cook for another twenty-five minutes. Then I added boiling water, the diced garlic, the beef stock, and the chopped tomatoes. Allowed to cook for another 45 minutes.

I cooked black Thai rice for half an hour, adding ground cinnamon. Plus basmati rice for fifteen minutes in Pilau Rice seasoning.. When both rice components were ready, the black rice was drained and rinsed in boiling water, then added to the basmati rice. Served together with a Greek style yoghurt, dressed with a pinch of coriander leaf. Delicious! 

Egg Noodles, with Sesame Oil and Spinach

Egg Noodles with chilli powder and sesame oil, as bought in a supermarket. Hydrated with boiling water in a bowl for five minutes. The chilli powder and sesame oil were added just after the water.

The vegetables were cooked in a steamer (julienned red onion, sliced yellow pepper, and diced spinach leaves) for fifteen minutes. Stirred together before eating. A basic dish transformed into something much more interesting!

Beef and Chickpea Stew

Made with half a standard tin of corned beef, plus onion and chickpeas and sweetcorn direct from the cob, along with two dessert spoonfuls of tomato puree, plus beef stock.

The chickpeas were softened in water overnight, and then added to a pan of boiling water, along with the sweetcorn and finely diced onion. Cooked for ten minutes, and then I added the corned beef, which had been cut into small chunks. Cooked for another ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.

After that I added the tomato puree and the beef stock.

Served with spicy chips, roasted under the grill for fifteen minutes, and turned once. The salsa they were dipped in was made with a little tomato ketchup, olive oil,  coriander and oregano, and black pepper. With a pinch of chilli powder and a dash of Worcester sauce. Plus two finely diced spring onions.

Beef Chilli Egg Noodle

Egg noodles from the local Co-op. Stir fried in olive oil for ten minutes, along with some turmeric rice from the fridge, at an intitial high heat, and then lowered.

The beef chilli was pre-made with corned beef, chillli powder (half a dessert spoonful) two varieties of chickpeas, plus red kidney beans,
and onions.

All the chickpeas and beans were dried, and soaked overnight until soft. Sweetcorn from the cob can be added.

I added beef stock to the chilli, and diced garlic.

Delicious and filling!

Beef Chilli, with Red Kidney Beans

Made with ground beef, chickpeas, red kidney beans, sweetcorn, red pepper, red chilli, tomato puree, chestnut mushrooms, diced leek, potato, garlic, and spring onion.

The ground beef was prepared first, browned in a little sunflower oil at a medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Then boiling water was added.

Thickened with half a teaspoonful of arrowroot, and flavoured with beef stock. The sweetcorn came straight from the cob, though tinned sweetcorn will do just as well.

The dried chickpeas and the kidney beans were soaked overnight, drained, and then cooked in fresh water with powdered red chilli and crushed garlic. Then simmered with the beef, sweetcorn, diced red pepper, mushrooms, tomato puree, potato, and chopped spring onion. The beef stock and another half a dessert spoonful of red chilli powder were added last.

Serve with plain boiled basmati rice, or with a chilled Greek yoghurt.

Garlic Sausage Stew

Made with diced Polish garlic sausage, onions or leeks, carrot and fresh sweetcorn, diced potato, tomato puree, garlic, ham stock, chilli powder, and some herbs (Basil, Coriander and Oregano).

Cook the vegetables first in a little sunflower oil until they soften. Add water, the tomato puree, the ham stock, and the chilli powder (half a teaspoonful is  fine). Add the diced sausage, and simmer under glass for between 45 minutes and an hour.

Add the herbs to the pot, and cook for a further ten minutes.

Served in this case with Basmati Rice.

Corned Beef Chilli

An excellent chilli made with corned beef, red kidney beans, sweetcorn, onion, mushrooms, red and green diced pepper, along with garlic, tomato puree, paprika, beef stock, and some basil.

The kidney beans were soaked overnight along with some finely chopped garlic. The beans were cooked for twenty minutes with diced onion, until soft. Then about half a standard sized tin of corned beef was added,  broken up with a stirrer, and stirred through the mix.

Followed by the addition of beef stock, two squirts of tomato puree, a teaspoonful of chilli powder, diced red and green pepper, diced mushrooms (six), and half a small tin of sweetcorn (drained).

Cooked for about 50 minutes at a low simmer under glass, after which half a teaspoonful of paprika was added, along with half a teaspoonful of dried basil. Simmer for a further ten minutes, while the rice is being prepared.

Served with long grain rice, dressed in a sprinkling of coriander leaf.

Beef and Mushroom Chilli

I browned some diced Scotch roast beef in some sunflower oil, for twenty minutes, stirring frequently. After fifteen minutes I added diced red onion, and batoned carrot.

After the twenty minutes I added three quarters of a pint of boiling water, plus a teaspoonful of chilli powder,  the garlic, and four squirts of tomato puree.

The dish was simmered for an hour under glass at a low heat. Then I mashed the carrots a little and the beef a little, and added diced mushrooms (in this case both white and chestnut varieties).

 Simmered under glass for another hour. After which I added the beef and vegetable stock, plus generous pinches of coriander and oregano. Simmered for another ten minutes or so.

Served with turmeric basmati rice, seasoned with diced coriander leaves,

Pork Sausage wrapped in Bacon, with Spicy French Fries

I picked up a bargain pack of 'pigs in blankets' at Sainsbury's. Often served as a component of Christmas lunch, they are just as delicious as the main part of a meal.

I made the French fries first, dicing one large potato. The chipped potato was doused in a bowl containing about one dessert spoonful of a mixture of sunflower oil, tomato ketchup, vinegar, chilli powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and coriander. Mixed together thoroughly and allowed to stand for fifteen or twenty minutes, with occasional further stir-throughs.

Coat a roasting tray with sunflower oil, and place the chips evenly across the surface. Place on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 190 deg C. Cook for between 35 and forty minutes, turning the chips halfway through.

The sausages were cooked for about sixteen or seventeen minutes in an oiled roasting tray on the middle shelf, also at 190 deg C (watch them closely and judge their readiness by eye). You can put the sausages into the oven with the chips about twenty minutes before the chips are ready, so they are both piping hot at the same time. If the shelf isn't big enough for two roasting trays, transfer the tray of chips to the base of the oven.

Served with half a can of Aldi brand baked beans, dressed in a dusting of coriander leaf and black pepper. Delicious!

Cheese-topped Beef and Mushroom Tortilla

The filling: the 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.

The tortilla wrap: dampened to make sure it was flexible. Allowed to dry for five minutes, then laid on the serving plate. I added two thin rectangles of cheddar cheese, and added the beef and mushroom mixture. I then folded the sides, and  rolled the tortilla up. The pre-grated cheddar (about 50g) was sprinkled on top of the tortilla wrap and patted down. The plate was put under the pre-heated grill, and left there for five minutes, until the cheese began to brown.

The tortilla was dressed with a little tomato ketchup. Delicious!

Beef and Mushroom Stew

A delicious beef and mushroom stew, served with spicy french fries.

The 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.

The chips were made with two medium sized potatoes, flat cut, and then divided up. The salsa they were dipped in was made with tomato ketchup, some chilli powder, oregano, salt, sunflower oil, and a little Worcester sauce. Cooked in the oven in a roasting tray at around 180 deg C for between twenty and twenty five minutes, depending on their thickness. Turn the chips once. Watch carefully!

Mushroom and Pepper Curry

A delicious curry, with a flavour you may not have tasted before. Made with one green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into strips, one Spanish onion, diced, and some large white mushrooms, also diced. Plus half a teaspoonful of mustard seeds, half a teaspoonful of cumin powder, chilli powder, and dried coriander. I used a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes also.

The onion was added to a saute pan containing a drizzle of groundnut oil (sunflower is fine as an alternative). Then I added the mustard seeds. Cook for five to ten minutes at a medium heat, until the onion begins to brown, and the mustard seeds burst.

After that I added the pepper and mushrooms. Stir fried for another five to ten minutes.

The dish was now ready for the chopped tomatoes (I added some boiling water also). The cumin and chilli powders were added, along with the dried coriander, and stirred together thoroughly.

Turn down the heat and allow the dish to simmer under glass for between fifteen and thirty minutes.

Serve with rice, or as in this case, with a toasted garlic and coriander naan bread, along with some plain Greek yoghurt.

Chilli Chicken

Made with the last remaining parts (two drumsticks and a wing) of a whole chicken, roasted a couple of days ago.

I'd kept the jelly from the chicken roast, and broke that up into small pieces in a small roasting dish. The chicken meat (including the skin) was added to the dish, followed by half a cup of water, two large squirts of tomato puree, some onion gravy granules, and a teaspoonful of dried basil. Plus half a teaspoonful of chilli powder and four dried red chillies. All stirred together.

The oven was preheated to 190 deg C, and the roasting dish was placed in the centre of the oven. Cooked for 45 minutes.

Served with semi-skinned flat-cut boiled potato. Hot and delicious, and an easy way to use up leftovers.

Tomato and Chilli Soup, with Potato Doughballs

A tomato chilli soup made without onions. The ingredients are blended brocolli, celery, and red pepper. Plus chilli powder, tomato puree (a couple of squeezes from the tube), plus vegetable stock.

Cook the vegetables for at least half an hour before blending them. Once blended, add the tomato puree, the chilli powder, and the vegetable stock. Simmer for at least another half an hour under glass, stirring occasionally.

The potato dumplings are Polish style: made with boiled and mashed potato, and cornmeal. Use three dessert spoonfuls of cornmeal per two peeled potatoes. Mash together with a fork in a glass bowl. Add a little milk (50mls) and drizzle with some sunflower oil.

Squeeze into sphere shapes by hand. Heat a small pan containing sunflower oil at a high heat. Add the doughballs, and drizzle with some more sunflower oil. Turn down the heat to low, and put the lid on the pan. Cook for twenty minutes altogether, turning the doughballs every five minutes to brown them evenly.

A very satisfying meal!

Garlic and Herb Meatballs, with Chilli and Coriander

I made the spicy salsa first, browning two chopped white onions in some sunflower oil. Once browned I added boiling water, and also added chopped red pepper (one half), and chunks of one large carrot. Simmered under glass for half an hour.

Then I added one teaspoonful of red chilli powder, two teaspoonfuls of Bisto onion gravy powder, beef stock, and two crushed cloves of garlic. Stirred together, and simmered for a further half an hour.

The meatballs, from Sainsbury's via my freezer were, after being thoroughly thawed, cooked in a little sunflower oil for twenty minutes, mostly under glass. I turned the meatballs four times to ensure they were thoroughly browned and cooked. The meatballs were added to the salsa, and cooked for about ten minutes.

Served with a handful of shredded fresh coriander. Excellent dish!

Commercially made meatballs, like burgers, contain a large amount of fat, as you will find after cooking. That's fine as long as you don't consume the fat. This limits the range of cooking options. They should always be cooked in a way which allows you to remove the fat. Cooking them from raw in a sauce is therefore not something I would do.