Canelloni Beans, Chorizo, and Oven-roasted Chips

A simple dish of roasted potatoes, dressed in sunflower oil and lemon juice, to complement a stew made with peppers, chorizo, canelloni beans, carrot, mushrooms, tomato puree, and red chilli.

The stew was cooked under glass the preceding day, for about two hours.

 

Chicken Minestrone

Minestrone has always been a dish based on using up various left-over ingredients. This version used left-over diced roast chicken and carrot. With added garlic and some red chilli. I used arrowroot as a thickener. Great dish!
 

Beef Chilli with Roast Potatoes

Ground beef, browned for twenty five minutes in sunflower oil along with diced spring onion, Then simmered in water for two hours under glass at a lowish heat. After which the vegetable stock is added, the chilli, the diced yellow pepper, and the haricot beans and tomato puree.

Arrowroot was mixed with some water and added during the last ten minutes (it functions as a thickener). Stirred thoroughly through the beef.

Roast potatoes were cooked in an oven preheated to 190 deg C. Cooking times will vary. These took fifty minutes, drizzled in sunflower oil. Judge by eye. Turned once to ensure even browning. 

 

Diced Pork Loin Steak with Cashews

The rice was steamed first and allowed to cool. Regulary turned with a fork until ready (20-30 minutes). Reheated shortly before serving the vegetables and pork on the bed of rice. The red pepper and the onion were diced, along with the mushrooms, garlic and chilli. Stir-fried along with the  (preroasted) pork steak pieces, and the cashews. Served together with a drizzle of soy sauce. 
 

Spicy Beef and Mushroom Stew,

 Minced beef (ground beef) browned for about twenty five minutes, before water and beef stock was added. Plus diced purple onion, haricot beans (pre-soaked), button mushrooms, Madras curry powder, tomato puree, and red chilli. 

Served with pre-prepared potato.

Creamed Ham, Leek and Tomato Soup

Soup made with diced cherry tomatoes, tomato puree, diced leek and diced turnip, plus vegetable and ham stock, plus tomato puree. Cooked for seventy minutes at a low heat under glass. After that I added diced garlic and deseeded red chilli. Plus paprika, oregano, and black pepper. The diced ham went in last, with some red wine and single cream. 

 

Lancashire Hot-pot

 A dish based on the preceding beef chilli. The remains of the beef chilli was placed in a pie tin, and the red chillies were removed. The beef was covered by thinly sliced potato, drizzled in some sunflower oil, and cooked in the oven for about seventy minutes - fifty minutes at a high heat (190 deg C), and the rest at a lower heat (150 deg C). Follow progress by eye. The dish was dressed in coriander before being put in the oven. 

Traditional? Lancashire hot-pot would not have had chillies, or sweetcorn. Just beef, and perhaps onion and carrot. I added diced green beans and a splash of red wine before it went into the oven.  

Beef and Sweetcorn Chilli

 A simple dish of Scottish minced beef and sweetcorn. 

The beef was browned with a little sunflower oil. Stirred frequently for around twenty five minutes. Then boiling water was added, and the beef was cooked slowly under glass for two hours. 

The tinned sweetcorn (200g) was added after an hour. Along with three red finger chillies, four garlic cloves (diced), two pinches of coriander leaf, two pinches of oregano, two pinches of paprika, beef stock, and two glugs of Italian red wine (Merlot). 

Served with some potato bread, or another bread of your choice.

Garlic Sausage Casoulet

A straightforward casoulet made with chunks of Polish garlic sausage, along with red pepper, potato, diced onion, fresh coriander, and diced flat mushroom. With a little red chilli. Cooked originally with sunflower oil. The gravy was thickened with a dessert spoonful of arrowroot powder. 

 

Hoisin Chicken

Diced (pre-roasted) chicken breast, deseeded red chillies, chopped, diced garlic (one clove), two chopped spring onions, cooked in a drizzle of sunflower oil at a medium heat. Cooked for the last ten minutes in a little water and a teaspoonful of Hoisin sauce.. Served with slow cooked basmati rice (twenty minutes). 

 

Ground Beef with Black Pepper

A great dish which largely cooks itself after you have browned the minced beef and diced the vegetables. Brown the beef at a medium heat until it begins to spark, stirring frequently. Then add the diced vegetables and cook for another five minutes, having turned the heat down to low. Then add boiling water, the beef stock, and some arrowroot (or cornflour) mixed with water, to produce a thicker gravy. Add a generous amount of freshly ground black peppercorns, according to taste. Stir together, and once thoroughly mixed, simmer under glass for about forty-five minutes. 

Serve with basmati rice. 

 

Singapore Fried Noodles with Chicken

I respect many aspects of chinese cooking, but I tend to avoid cooking at very high temperatures (I can't stand the smoke in the kitchen). The vegetables (with the ginger, garlic and diced chillies) were fried at a very low heat for about twenty minutes. Then set aside. After that I cooked the diced chicken breast, again very slowly at first - altogether for about twenty minutes in the same oil I used to cook the vegetables. 

The Singapore noodles were sourced from Sainsbury's, who supply a couple of varieties (plain and curried) which are pretty authentic. I steamed them first for a few minutes (or you can blanche them in boiling water). Then they were drained and then fried in sunflower oil at a high heat for a couple of minutes in a skillet. Meanwhile the chicken and vegetables were being reheated in another pan. 

Assembled on a plate with a drizzle of dark soy sauce. Utterly delicious!

 

Lamb Chilli with Sultanas and Red Pepper

200g of lamb mince (ground lamb), browned in a little olive oil. Plus julienned white onion, diced red pepper, and three diced Aleyna red and green chillies. And a handful of Turkish sultanas (an unexpected detour into a Marks and Spencer store produced that find). I added lamb and vegetable stock, and some coconut, tomato puree, and water. Simmered under glass for an hour. Served with Basmati rice. 

 

Chickpeas, Green Beans, and Spicy Chips

Chickpeas soaked for several hours before being cooked in unsalted water for three hours. With an added dried red chilli. The green beans were steamed for ten minutes. The spicy chips were parboiled for seven minutes in salted water, before being drained, and then dressed in tomato ketchup, olive oil, Oregano and Basil. Cooked under the grill for fifteen minutes (judge progress by eye). Served on some dark soy sauce. 

 

Vegetarian salad, with Chickpeas and Rice, and Bistro Salad leaves

Chickpeas cooked until tender, then cooled, and dressed in red pesto sauce..Batonned raw carrot, and diced raw white onion dressed in tarragon. Basmati rice cooked with salt and two dried red chillies. Plus a bistro salad of lettuce leaves. Delicious and filling I made this dish just minutes before we heard on the wires that Sean Connery had died ( one of Edinburgh's most famous sons).  RIP. 

 

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.

Beef Chilli with Kidney Beans and Greek Yoghurt

A straightforward ground beef chilli, served with Greek yoghurt dressed with coriander leaf.

The 5% fat beef was browned in sunflower oil for twenty minutes, after which the julienned white onion was added, along with the diced carrot. Stirred together under glass for another thirty minutes.

I added boiling water to the pot, plus the vegetable and beef stock. Plus the red chillies, and the sliced red pepper.  Simmered under glass for an hour or so.

The dried kidney beans had been soaked for three hours in a separate pot, and then were boiled for two hours, before being added to the main dish (after draining). Along with some haricot beans.

Served with Greek yoghurt dressed in dried coriander leaf. Delicious!

Ground Beef with Smoked Paprika and Wheat-free Fusilli

This dish was made with diced Piccolo tomatoes, diced white mushrooms, diced leek, diced red pepper, sweetcorn (from a small tin) paprika, half a 400g  tin of tomatoes, and ground beef (Scottish). Plus three red chillies, and a teaspoonful of smoked paprika.

The 5% fat ground beef was browned for twenty minutes in olive oil, and then the diced leek was added. Cooked for a further twenty minutes under glass, stirring occasionally. Then the other vegetables were added, plus the herbs oregano and coriander.

Simmered under glass for another hour, after which vegetable and beef stock were added to the pot.

The wheat-free pasta (Fusilli, commonly known as Rotini in the U.S.), was cooked in boiling salted water in a pan for ten minutes, and then allowed to rest for a further five, and then drained. I used Sainsbury's pasta, since it cooks very much like the durum wheat version, and doesn't fall apart.

Wheat-free Spaghetti Bolognese, with Sweetcorn

Not a real Italian dish, as I've noted before, but a firm favourite in the UK.

This was made with diced Piccolo tomatoes, diced white mushrooms, diced leek, diced red pepper, sweetcorn (from a small tin) paprika, half a 400g  tin of tomatoes, and ground beef (Scottish). Plus three red chillies.

The 5% fat ground beef was browned for twenty minutes in olive oil, and then the diced leek was added. Cooked for a further twenty minutes under glass, stirring occasionally. Then the other vegetables were added.

Simmered under glass for another hour, after which vegetable and beef stock were added to the pot.

The wheat-free pasta was cooked in boiling salted water in a large flat pan for ten minutes, and then allowed to rest for a further five. Then drained.

The dish was served on a plate dusted with oregano, and dressed with dried (or fresh) coriander.

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.