Caesar Salad

A Caesar salad is essentially a chicken salad with croutons, lettuce and mayo. This is a variation on the basic recipe.

Made with diced roast chicken pieces (chicken breast in this instance), fresh from the fridge. Plus bread croutons (wheat-free), fried in butter in an omelette pan until browned and crisp.

Once cool, the lettuce salad, the chicken, and the croutons were mixed together in a bowl with some mayonnaise. Along with some diced or crushed garlic, a couple of dashes of Worcester sauce, and also two dashes of Tabasco sauce. Simple and fabulous!

Ham and Brocolli Soup

A simple but delicious dish made with ham (actually course cut smoked bacon), white onion, and half a head of brocolli. Plus pork stock.

The ham was fried in its own fat for twenty minutes, starting at a high heat, and then reduced to a low heat. Then the julienned white onion was added, and cooked with the ham for another twenty five minutes at a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

I diced half a head of brocolli into small chunks, including most of the stem, and added the pieces to the pan. Cooked for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Then boiling water was added to the pan, along with the pork stock.Plus a dessert spoonful of ground arrowroot, to thicken the soup.  Cooked slowly for an hour and a half.

Served with potato bread.

Chorizo, Onion and Baked Bean Breakfast

I chopped up a quarter of a chorizo ring, and fried the sausage in an omelette pan, along with a rasher of smoked bacon. No oil was required because of the oil which came from the chorizo.

Once hot, I added a julienned red onion, and turned down the heat after a couple of minutes. Cooked slowly for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion became semi-transparent.

The beans were fridge leftovers, and were heated in a separate small pan. Once ready, they were decanted onto a slice of wheat-free toast (not buttered in this case). Quick to prepare, and easy.

Brussels Pate, with Baby Leaf Salad

A simple pate salad, made with an assortment of baby leaf lettuce, diced carrot, half a julienned red or purple onion, strips of green pepper, and half a teaspoonful of French course grain Mustard.No added herbs or spices.

The salad ingredients were prepared first, and then I added a drizzle of olive oil. All you need to do after that is to add a square of the Brussels pate, and the meal is prepared! Ideal combination for any kind of pate I think. I will explore.

Thai Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice

A delicious and simple Thai style curry made with diced roast chicken from the fridge, with diced carrots, julienned onion, haricot beans, tomato puree, a dessert spoonful of shredded coconut, Thai spices, ginger, and chicken stock.

All the ingredients were added to a single pan, and cooked together under glass for forty five minutes.

The basmati rice was cooked in boiling water to which a single drip of Jasmine essence was added (fifteen minutes). The coriander leaf was sprinkled over the dish as a garnish.

Chicken Salad with Garlic Yoghurt

A great chicken salad, and quick to prepare. The vegetables came already assembled in a bag from the local Co-op. Decanted into a glass bowl and dressed with some olive oil, two dashes of Tabasco sauce, and two dashes of Worcester sauce. Stir.

I roasted a medium-sized chicken the day before, and prepared it for use once it had cooled. After that it was kept overnight in the fridge.

I diced one chicken breast, and added the pieces to the salad.

In a  smaller bowl I prepared the garlic yoghurt. Four or five dessert spoonfuls of fresh yoghurt, infused with two finely grated cloves of garlic. Stir together and allow to stand for fifteen minutes or so.

Served in a pasta bowl, with the garlic yoghurt spooned on top. Excellent dish!

Roast Pork with Vegetables and Gravy

The pork joint was cooked in the oven for two hours in a casserole dish, and allowed to cool. Carved with an electric knife.

The vegetables were carrot, onion and red  pepper. Cooked in the base of the casserole dish under the joint. I added 100 ml of water to the dish. Middle shelf of the oven, at 180 deg. C.

I made the gravy with some pork stock, and the juices from the joint. I drained the juices into a small dish and put it into the fridge. I removed the pork fat from the top with a spoon before mixing the juices and the stock.

The pork, the vegetables and the gravy were reheated in a flat lidded pan for fifteen minutes before serving. Some sage can be added. Delicious! Could also be served with rice or potatoes, according to choice.

Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs

A fabulous breakfast dish, made with finely sliced chorizo, which I then diced, halved piccolo tomatoes (six), and two large eggs and milk.

First I fried the chorizo and the tomato halves together in a skillet at a medium heat, until the oil came from the sausage, and it began to become slightly crisp.

I beat the eggs in a bowl, and added some milk and some salt (not much!). The mixture was added to the skillet, and left to stand for about a minute. Then I stirred the mixture occasionally until the dish was ready (about five minutes. Judge when it is ready by eye).

Served on some buttered toast, with a sprinkle of coriander leaf.

Fried Lamb Leg Steak

One of the best meals I ever had was in Warsaw Airport in 2003. Fried lamb leg steaks served with basmati rice.

I was about to return home, and was looking to park somewhere for about 45 minutes, and to have something to eat. I found a small restaurant some distance from the departure lounge. I did not expect the glory that was put down in front of me.

The lamb was tender, and had delicious flavour. I complemented the manager on the quality of the food.

This is my take on that fabulous meal. Two lamb leg steaks, cooked slowly in olive oil for at least half an hour. Mostly under glass. Served with slightly caramelised batonned carrots, cooked in a little butter, and some turmeric rice (with some coriander leaf mixed through it), cooked for about twelve minutes.

The Warsaw dish was slightly better - I suspect the lamb was cooked by their chef for a little longer. But this is a great way to serve lamb steak!

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.

Black Olive Salad

 Another summery salad for a grim winter in the UK. Made with black pitted olives, half of a diced red onion, diced red pepper, shredded carrot, red cabbage, and lettuce leaves. Dressed in olive oil. No herbs, no salt. You could add oregano or coriander leaf. Or even salt. Served in a pasta dish.

Fabulously simple, and nutritious!