Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew, with Spicy Chips

A chickpea stew with diced carrot, sweet potato and green beans. The chickpeas were soaked overnight in unsalted water until soft. Drained, and decanted into a pot of boiling water, along with the carrot, sweet potato and the green beans. Add some chicken or ham stock, and ground white pepper. Add a teaspoonful of gravy granules and stir through the stew. Cook at a low heat on the hob for an hour.

Served in this case with spicy chipped potatoes, grilled in the middle of the oven for around fifteen minutes. The chips were allowed to stand in a marinade beforehand for a couple of hours The marinade was made with sunflower oil, malt vinegar, tomato ketchup (or puree), salt, garlic, red chilli, dried coriander leaf, tarragon and oregano (the choice of herbs is up to you). When grilled the chips don't need to be turned, and they are less likely to stick to the roasting tray, compared to oven roasting.

Chicken in a Pepper and Onion Salsa, with Roast Potatoes

Bought a whole chicken from the local co-op. Cooked on a low shelf in the oven for an hour and 45 minutes, at 180 deg. C.  For the last fifty minutes or so I also cooked roast potatoes along with the chicken, drizzled in olive oil (turned once. The potatoes were parboiled first, and then rolled around a casserole dish).

The salsa was made with caramelised white onion (diced), fried in olive oil, along with a crushed clove of garlic, and strips of red and orange peppers. After twenty minutes I added tomato puree, Bisto gravy granules, vegetable stock, basil and tarragon, along with around 150g of water. Cooked for another half an hour.

I separated one chicken leg from the carcass for this meal (the rest of the chicken went into the fridge after it cooled). The dish was seasoned with a dusting of freshly ground black pepper before serving. Absolutely delicious! Tarragon is a great accompaniment to chicken.

Ground Beef with Chilli and Peppers

Good to break away from meals accompanied by rice or potatoes - there are so  many alternatives which deliver much less starch.

The ground beef was browned in some sunflower oil for about twenty minutes at a medium heat, stirring frequently, then I added boiling water (150 mls), and allowed the beef to simmer for an hour under glass, at a lower heat.

After that I added julienned white onion, beef stock, diced mushrooms, three green finger chillies, diced carrot, tomato puree (one squirt), and half a standard can of baked beans. Also some Bisto gravy granules, which serve to thicken a dish.

Allowed to simmer at a low heat for another 45 minutes to one hour. After which I added the herbs basil and oregano.

The pepper strips were stir-fried in an omelette pan for fifteen minutes until tender.

Ground Beef with Spring Onion and Curried Rice

5% fat ground beef, browned for twenty-five minutes in some sunflower oil. Eight chopped spring onions (cybes) plus two diced carrots were caramelised in a separate small pan at the same time.

Added together, along with some Sainsbury's gravy granules, and with some boiling water, and beef stock. Actually inferior to the traditional way of thickening beef mince, which is to use cornflour. Sainsbury's granules contain wheat flour, which I try to avoid. Always read the label before buying.

Simmered for at least an hour under glass at a low heat. Longer is better, if you like your beef tender.

The rice was cooked for ten minutes with curry powder, salt, turmeric and a green chilli. Drained, and the whole green chilli was removed before serving. 

Pork Joint with Sage and Onion Stuffing

I found a cheap joint of pork with sage and onion stuffing in the supermarket (Sainsbury's) post Christmas. Cooked in the oven for two hours at around 190 deg C.

The joint was cut into slices with an electric knife. Not an essential tool, but it is so much easier.

The gravy was made with Bisto onion gravy granules, dried sage leaves, pork stock, and vegetable stock. The onion granules thicken the gravy.

The Brussels sprouts were cooked for nine minutes in boiling water under glass. Delicious!