Posts tagged cooking

Wow. I cut this recipe out of a magazine a while ago and finally got round to making it last week. Really very tasty. The recipe recommended putting these into buns and serving like traditional burgers, but I served with lattice chips and with Imam Baildi (see my previous post for the recipe). 

I think these would be delicious on the BBQ. 

Ingredients

This made 6 small burgers. I wish I had made more!

• 500gr minced beef
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp cayanne pepper
• 1 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 50gr breadcrumbs
• 1 egg

Preparation

• I started by chopping the onion and frying it for a couple of minutes until just brewing.
• Mix all the ingredients together and shape the burgers - you could make these as big or as small as you like. 
• Heat a non-stick pan and fry on each side (no added oil needed) for a few minutes until cooked through. 

And they are ready to serve! Enjoy. 

This makes enough for 3 or 4 portions as a side dish (or enough for 2 if you’re eating it with some feta and fresh bread for lunch!)

• 1 aubergine
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
• about 400gr chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• half a tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic
• handful of chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Chop the aubergine in half and then into one inch pieces
• Finely slice the garlic
• Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the aubergine and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes
• Add the chopped tomatoes, spices, sugar, balsamic and season with salt and pepper and let the sauce reduce

• Once the sauce has reduced (it will take about 15 minutes) add the chopped parsley and stir in the parsley

Et voila! Perfectly delicious. I served it with Blood Mary Burgers (recipe to follow soon). 

This is one of my all time favourite dishes to make at home. The sauce is ever so simple to make but has a real kick. 

We often have this midweek, but it’s also been a dinner party hit. 

Ingredients

This makes enough for 4 to 6. I always like to make extra and freeze a couple of portions. 

• 6 salmon fillets
• one or two cloves of garlic
• one or two red chillies
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lemongrass paste
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• juice from one lime (plus the zest finely grated)
• 8 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• pepper (there is enough sauce in the soy)
• rice noodles and broccoli to serve 

Preparation

• You can either chop all the ingredients finely and mix by hand…or throw it all in to the mini food processor and the poor all over the fish. Yes. It really is as simple as that! 

• Cook for about 30 minutes is a preheated oven at around 200 degrees celsius. 
• And it’s ready to serve - I love these easy to cook rice noodles and a few tender broccoli stems. Simply delicious. 

With a little bit of inspiration from Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver I made this super fresh and tasty pea and pesto soup on Saturday. 

Nigella had posted this - www.nigella.com/recipes/view/pea-and-pesto-soup-82 - as her recipe of the day some time last week and I had been looking forward to making it. 

Not content with making the soup from scratch I also thought I would give a go at making the pesto and found this recipe from Jamie - www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/pesto_1 - and I have to say I will definitely be making it again. It would be lovely simply stirred in with some fresh pasta. 

The ingredients simply blitzed together (in my favourite kitchen gadget!)

Next, I boiled the peas as directed, with some spring onions and lime.

Finally, I removed the spring onions and whipped up the peas with all the liquid and four tablespoons of the lovely pesto. 

And hey pesto! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. 

Garnished with some croutons and fresh black pepper. Enough for two generous portions and a small portion for a mid week lunch. So light and delicious. 

I got some chicken out this morning before going to work, hoping that something would inspire me. I remembered the Nando’s sauce in the back of the cupboard and decided that would be my back up…

But then I came across this, and what better than the editor’s choice for the day - www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/creamy-chicken-cobbler 

I have never made anything like this before and I have to say, it was perfect after a long hard day at work.

I made the recipe with three chicken breasts, chopped up, and it fed the two of us (although the recipe says it will do for four!). 

My sister came back from University and came over to ours for dinner after work. I had made chilli a couple of weeks ago for some friends but there were a few things that weren’t quite right so I though I would give it another go…

Now, you will notice the absence of kidney beans - which have been replaced by baked beans (rinsed). No, this isn’t because I ran out, but my boyfriend doesn’t like kidney beans…so this is his compromise! I was dubious at first, but I have to say it works.

I love to serve this with sour cream and nachos. 

Ingredients

This makes enough for about 7 or 8 - depending on how hungry you are! If there is any left over it freezes really well and makes the perfect ready meal at a later date. 

• 2 red onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 dried or fresh chillies
• 3 tbsp mixed spice
• 1 kilo extra lean mince
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 300ml beef stock (I use 2 stock cubes)
• 300ml red wine
• 2 cans baked beans
• enough rice to go around (usually around 80 grams per person), a splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of chilli flakes 
• salt and pepper

Preparation

• Blitz the red onions, garlic and chillies in a mini food processor and fry for a few minutes in some olive oil until all the flavours begin to release
• Sprinkle the mince with the all spice, salt and pepper and add to the onion garlic and chillies mix. Stir occasionally until all the mince has turned brown
• Add the tinned tomatoes, red wine, beef stock balsamic vinegar and tomato puree - bring to the boil 
• Reduce the heat and keep cooking, stirring occasionally
• Taste, and season again if necessary
• When the sauce has reduced add the rinsed baked beans and mix it all together
• Turn the heat off - you will know when it’s ready - and put the lid on to keep it warm
• Make the rice according to the instructions on the packet and once ready mix in a drop of olive oil and some chilli flakes…and it’s ready to serve!

Inspired by my lovely friend from work I made guacamole for the first time last week. It’s great with giant cous-cous (a recent find in Waitrose) and salad for lunch. And, I love dipping in nachos or even sugar snap peas as a snack.

The lime and chilli make for an unbeatable combination.

Here is my recipe, but you can add as much or as little as you like of the seasoning to find your ideal combination:

Ingredients

• one ripe avocado
• five cherry tomatoes
• juice from one lime
• one clove of garlic
• a bunch of coriander
• salt and pepper

• Put all the ingredients in a mini food processor…and blitz (or, mash with a fork)
• Taste, and add more seasoning if needed

And it’s as simple as that (I find it keeps for a couple of days in the fridge).