Pollo Arabbiata

 A simple Italian dish: a steamed breast of chicken with some fried mushrooms and chopped tomatoes. Plus some peeled and steamed potatoes, which is the normal accompaniment for this dish in Italy. Easy, and delicious. 

Chicken and Chickpea Stew

 The chickpeas were cooked in a slow cooker until soft, along with the chopped tomatoes and a diced clove of garlic. The green beans were cooked later in a separate pan. Served together with some sea salt and black pepper. 

Thick Cut Bacon with Peppers in a Tomato Salsa

Half a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, in which diced carrot, red pepper, and orange pepper strips were cooked at a medium heat for a couple of hours under glass.

The bacon pieces were cooked in a little olive oil for about twenty-five minutes, drained, and added to the vegetable salsa.

Add some white wine, a dash of bloody mary spice, the herbs and a pinch of paprika. No added salt or stock. Delicious!

Chicken Gumbo with Green Beans and Red Pepper

Not an authentic Louisiana dish, but inspired by Cajun gumbo recipes. Chicken goujons from the fridge refried until slightly browned in olive oil. I added julienned onion (two small ones), half a diced red pepper, and about 75g of diced green beans.

I made the sauce with a teaspoonful of arrowroot powder in water (normally cornflour or flour), half a 400g can of chopped tomatoes, a teaspoonful of Cajun seasoning, a teaspoonful of paprika, and half a teaspoonful of red chilli powder. Then I added some chicken stock. Cooked for fifteen minutes. 

The sauce was added to the chicken and vegetables, along with about 100g of boiling water. Cooked slowly half under glass until the sauce thickened again. 

Served with some steamed basmati rice, originally cooked with diced root ginger. 

Chicken Curry with Parsnips and Chestnut Mushrooms

A Madras curry made with four quartered chestnut mushrooms, and two diced parsnips, along with diced chicken, finger chillies and two cloves of garlic.Fried first of all in some sunflower oil.  Then I added half a tin of chopped tomatoes and some coriander leaf.. Cooked twice - the second time on the next day.  

Served with Basmati rice, and delicious lime pickle (Patak brand). 

 

Cumberland Sausage, with Peas and Chopped Tomato

A relatively simple winter dish, made with Cumberland sausage, peas, tomato, and a pork-flavoured onion gravy.

I used to love Cumberland sausage, because it was loaded with herbs, and the flavour infused the added gravy. You have to be careful about your choice of sausages now, because most manufacturers use fewer herbs.Which is why I added extra Sage to this dish. The coiled ones are probably best. 

The sausages were cooked at a medium heat for about twenty-five minutes, turning them every seven minutes or so. I made up the basis of the gravy in a jug (onion gravy granules and the stock). All cooked together in a separate pan. I added the chopped tomato and the peas. Cooked under glass for another twenty minutes. Delicious!

 

 

 

Beef Chilli with Yellow Pepper

Snowing again, and the outside temperature is -2 deg C. So I chose to make a hot beef chilli, with five finger chillies, 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. 

Serve with potatoes or rice, or whatever you like. Add a dusting of coriander.

Served here with a toasted garlic and coriander naan bread, and Greek yoghurt. Plus some diced celery, and a teaspoonful of black bean sauce. 

 

Roast Pork Casoulet, with Smoked Paprika

Roast pork from the freezer, cooked in a tomato and red wine sauce for an hour. Plus diced spring onion, and a white onion.

The wine was an Artusi Merlot, which is both delicious and cheap.

 I added a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  I also added pork stock, plus the herbs sage and tarragon.

I added potatoes and strips of yellow pepper. Plus the herbs oregano and basil, plus a quarter teaspoonful of smoked paprika. Cooked for an hour before serving, and dressed in dried coriander.

Beef Chilli with Roast Potatoes

An unusual combination of components, but it works quite well. How to do good roast potatoes is detailed here.

The ground beef was browned for half an hour, initially at a high heat, and then at a low heat. The beef was 5% fat, so I added a little olive oil to the pan.

Then I added water, chopped tomato, julienned red onion, diced carrot, some haricot beans, red kidney beans (soaked overnight), beef stock, dried coriander, and three red chillies. Simmered for two hours until tender. Delicious!

Brisket Beef in Tomato Sauce

This is a variation of an old Jewish recipe for the preparation of Brisket. Normally it would have garlic, vinegar, and lots of pepper, but I made this for my mother, who generally doesn't eat food with lots of garlic and spices. So this is a stripped down version, which turns out to be just as delicious.

Brisket is a cheaper joint of beef. It takes a lot of cooking, but the results are well worth the effort.

Normally I would cook the joint in a slow cooker for between 4 and 8 hours, but I decided this time to experiment with cooking the dish on the hob, in a covered saute pan. I sealed the joint first of all in a flat lidded pan with some olive oil, and then transferred it to one which contained water brought to the boil.

I then cooked two large onions, and one large leek, both finely diced, also in some olive oil. Once they had browned a little, the vegetables were transferred to the pan with the joint. The lid was put on, and the heat turned down to the lowest level which kept the contents bubbling.

The joint was cooked for five hours at this low heat. The joint was turned several times to ensure even cooking. Then I added tinned chopped tomatoes to the pan, and stirred everything together. An hour later, I added the beef and vegetable stock.

Altogether the joint was cooked for eight hours, and then allowed to cool overnight. The next morning I washed the joint, and then cut the joint into tender slices with an electric knife. What wasn't needed for this meal was put into the fridge (the meat and the tomato sauce).

The beef was served with flat cut semi-skinned potato, sugar-snap peas, and some black pepper. Thanks to Lyn for talking me through this recipe many years ago. This is my 700th published recipe!

Chilli Chicken

Chicken breast, chopped into small pieces and stir-fried in sunflower oil until the pieces start to brown a little.

Then the chicken is added to a salsa consisting of chopped tomatoes (tinned), strips of yellow and green pepper, diced onion and carrot, chopped celery, finely chopped garlic, and some topped and tailed green chillies.

Add half a tin of red kidney beans, chicken stock, some basil and coriander.

Cook the chicken salsa under glass at a low heat for at least 45 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice. Delicious!

Lincolnshire Sausage Hotpot

Eight Lincolnshire sausages, delinked and cut into four pieces, cooked in a large flat glass lidded pan.

I cooked the sausage pieces at a medium heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. I diced a large onion, and added the onion to the pan. After another ten minutes I added the lid and turned down the heat.

I turned up the heat and added a 400g tin of chopped Italian tomatoes to the pan, along with a little water. The dish was cooked under glass for another half an hour at a low heat, towards the end of which I added some vegetable stock, and two pinches of dried sage.

Served with semi-skinned boiled potato. Delicious! Will feed two or three people.

Pork Chilli with Basmati Rice

A pork stew made with pork from a roast cooked earlier and kept in the fridge. The pork was recooked in a little sunflower oil for ten minutes, before  strips of red and yellow pepper were added, along with chopped onion, and diced carrot. After another ten minutes I added some boiling water.

I mixed together a level dessert spoonful of cornmeal, and a level teaspoonful of paprika with some cold water. Stirred until a smooth paste.  The sauce was added to the pan with the pork and peppers, etc., and stirred at a medium heat until it began to thicken.  It took about twenty minutes.

I added half a can of chopped tomatoes, some vegetable stock, two dried red chillies, and some herbs (oregano, coriander and basil).

I diced half of a medium sized courgette, and added the cubes to the pan, and added these to the mix .As well as a little chopped celery. The dish was cooked for another half an hour.

Pork Chilli with Courgette, Peppers, and Wheat-Free Pasta

A pork stew made with pork from a roast cooked earlier and kept in the fridge. The pork was recooked in a little sunflower oil for ten minutes, before the strips of red and yellow pepper were added. After another ten minutes I added some boiling water.

I mixed together a level dessert spoonful of cornmeal, and a level teaspoonful of paprika with some cold water. Stirred until a smooth paste.  The sauce was added to the pan with the pork and peppers, and stirred at a medium heat until it began to thicken.  It took about twenty minutes.

I added half a can of chopped tomatoes, some vegetable stock, two dried red chillies, and some herbs (oregano, coriander and basil).

I diced half of a medium sized courgette, and added the cubes to the pan, and a medium sized carrot, and added these to the mix .As well as a little chopped celery. The dish was cooked for another twenty or so minutes. Served with wheat-free pasta boiled with a little salt and some turmeric, and some freshly ground black pepper. Delicious!

Salami Dominicano Guisado (stewed Salami)

Slice the Salami.  Slice the onions and place them in a dish. Add one tablespoon of vinegar to the onions, and toss. Slice the green peppers (do not add vinegar). 

Add the olive oil to the pan over a high heat. Fry the salami. The salami I used was pre-sliced, so required a short cooking time, and a medium heat. Remove the salami and put on a plate. 

Turn the heat down to medium, and fry the red onion and the green peppers. Once they have softened, add half a can of chopped tomatoes, or the equivalent in tomato puree.

 Add some water and stir. Do not allow the mixture to become too thick. Add the salami and simmer for a few minutes. Add the olives (stuffed with pimento). Also add about a tablespoonful of the juice from the jar of olives, if you like the flavour. Add pepper if desired. I added none, since I was using German peppered salami.  

You can start to prepare the basmati rice about halfway through the preparation of this dish (the rice will be cooked in about 8 or 9 minutes). 

I was casting around for a salami recipe using tomatoes, and found the basis of the above recipe at:

https://snapguide.com/guides/make-salami-dominicano-guisadostewed-salami/

By someone calling herself Diana. Her recipes at: https://snapguide.com/diana-12/ are well worth checking out. 

Spicy Chicken Enchilladas

Made with the remains of a Chicken Parmigiana, made a couple of days earlier on the hob  Made with one small chopped leek, one onion, chicken meat from three chicken drumsticks, a 390g pack of chopped tomato with basil and oregano from Sainsbury's, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 100g), two garlic cloves, some chicken stock, and a little olive oil.

To recap on the creation of the salsa, I started the leek and onion off in the pan with a drizzle of olive oil, and removed the meat from the drumsticks, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Then I added the chicken and some hot water, and added the chicken stock. I turned up the heat, and added the chopped tomatoes. I added half of the grated cheese (you can use mozarella instead if you prefer), and stirred it into the sauce. Cook for twenty minutes under glass at a low heat once it comes to the boil. Stir occasionally.

To create a salsa for the spicy enchilladas, I added a couple of chopped green chillies, with all of the pith and seeds removed, and a dessert spoonful of sweet chilli sauce. Plus some finely chopped white onion. Stirred together cold. I dampened two garlic flavoured wraps and left them to stand for two minutes, and then spooned in the spicy sauce. The enchilladas were rolled, and placed in a roasting dish which had been brushed with some sunflower oil. The surface of the wraps was also brushed with oil.

Finally, grate about 150 g of cheddar cheese on top of the enchilladas, and grind some black pepper on to the cheese. Cover the dish with aluminium foil, and wait until your oven has reached 190 deg C. Place above the middle of the oven, and cook for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminium foil during the final five minutes.

Serve with a side-salad of chopped tomatoes, yoghurt or sour cream, and Romaine lettuce. 

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana, made on the hob rather than in the oven. Made with one small chopped leek, one onion, chicken meat from three chicken drumsticks, a 390g pack of chopped tomato with basil and oregano from Sainsbury's, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 100g), two garlic cloves, some chicken stock, and a little olive oil.

I started the leek and onion off in the pan with the drizzle of olive oil, and removed the meat from the drumsticks, stirring the vegetables occasionally. Then I added the chicken and some hot water, and added the chicken stock. I turned up the heat, and added the chopped tomatoes. I added half of the grated cheese (you can use mozarella instead if you prefer), and stirred it into the sauce. Cook for twenty minutes under glass at a low heat once it comes to the boil.Stir occasionally.

Serve in a pasta bowl with a sprinkling of the grated cheese on top, along with a generous helping of freshly ground black pepper. Can be served with a side of salad, with rice or pasta. A versatile and tasty dish. 

Beef, Red Pepper and Kidney Bean Stew

Beef stew, made with celery, beef, one large red onion, kidney beans, red pepper, and chopped tomato, served with semi-skinned boiled potatoes, some Brocolli and some Brussels Sprouts.

I prepared the sauce in a large saute pan, adding the kidney beans (half a 400g tin), a whole tin of plum tomatoes, which I diced with a spatula, the chopped onion, the strips of red pepper, and chopped celery. Great flavour provided by the celery. I also added four bay leaves, some dark soy sauce, and some beef stock.

Cook the sauce for at least half an hour or so, during which time you can brown the diced beef in another pan. This core of this sauce was made a couple of days earlier for a beef and kidney bean stew, and then later augmented with the beef stock, the soy sauce, and the bay leaves, and so was now a much thicker and richer sauce than it it was before.

Drizzle the pieces in a little sunflower oil, and turn up the heat until the beef pieces are sizzling. Turn the heat down at that point, and stir and turn the pieces until they have browned (ten to twelve minutes or so). Add the pieces of beef to the sauce, and cook for at least another twenty minutes or thereabouts. If you can leave it to simmer for at least an hour and a half under glass, you will not be disappointed at how tender the beef will be.

Beef and Kidney Bean Stew

A really simple beef stew, made with celery, beef, one large red onion, kidney beans,  and chopped tomato, served with a toasted pitta or other flat bread of your choice.

I prepared the sauce in a large saute pan, adding the kidney beans (half a 400g tin), a whole tin of plum tomatoes, which I diced with a spatula, the chopped onion and chopped celery. No herbs, no stock. Great flavour provided by the celery.

Cook the sauce for half an hour or so, during which time you can brown the diced beef in another pan. Drizzle the pieces in a little sunflower oil, and turn up the heat until the beef pieces are sizzling. Turn the heat down at that point, and stir and turn the pieces until they have browned (ten to twelve minutes or so). Add the pieces of beef to the sauce, and cook for at least another twenty minutes or thereabouts.

Serve with a dampened flatbread heated in a toaster, or under the grill. Delicious!

Tomato, Onion and Brocolli Soup

You could make this with a tin of tomatoes or some tomato passata, but I made this dish with a bag of tomatoes bought for a bargain price at Lidl's supermarket. I chopped up about ten medium sized tomatoes, and cooked them in boiling water until they were soft (about twenty minutes or so. An Italian chef would take me to task for not removing the skins first by dipping them in boiling water and peeling them). Then I made the tomatoes into a puree with a hand blender. 

Add chopped onion, and about half of the spears from a head of brocolli, chopped into thin strips. Cook until both the onion and brocolli are soft enough to mash. Mash for one minute. Add shredded basil and a little oregano, plus some vegetable stock. Cook for another twenty to thirty minutes or so. Put freshly ground black pepper in the bottom of the bowl before serving (according to taste). That's it! Utterly delicious, and can be made from scratch in under ninety minutes. 

Tomato, Onion and Brocolli Soup