Leave a Comment

Posted on December 21, 2015 by gorgefood

A tasty quick and simple mid week tea that has left a lovely taste in my mouth! You can also have this without the prawns for a nice vegetarian dish. This is a variation of a recipe I read in my Olive magazine.

Why people buy jars of horrible tasting pasta sauce is beyond me when this is so quick and simple.

Ingredients
Serves 2

150g Spaghetti
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
1 pinch of chilli flakes depending on how hot you like it
6 chopped sunblushed or sundried tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, diced ( I used 12 cherry toms)
1 tbsp small capers, chopped.
15 Black olives chopped in half
Olive oil
Basil . a few leaves chopped.
12 large raw king prawns. ( You can used cooked but raw are best)

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

Put the Garlic, chilli, tomatoes, olives and capers in a pan and cook gently in 2 tbsp of olive oil and a few pinches of salt.

When the pasta is cooked (al dente) drain but keep 1/4 pint of the liquid in the pan. Throw in the tomatoes mixture and mix thoroughly and add some salt and pepper to season.

Don’t clean the pan that you cooked the tomato sauce in, but add a table spoon of oil and fry the prawns making sure that they get a coating from the scraps of tomato that were left in the pan.

Divide the past and sauce mixture into large bowls and add the prawns on top and some chopped basil.

Who needs Dolmio!

 

12391981_10153133008737890_1873399224322339244_n

I forgot to add my basil… 😦

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted on December 15, 2015 by gorgefood

It’s been a while, I’m sorry, It was pointed out to me yesterday by Carole that I have not wrote anything for a while.. but December has kept me very busy with gigs and boozing!

This Saturday morning however, the child was at grandmas and I had chance to watch a bit of Saturday kitchen in bed instead of paw patrol! I saw a couple of Aubergines come out and my ears pricked up  ( Love Aubergine) and I quickly wrote down the recipe to try.. and tonight is the night!

At the time of typing.. I have not yet eaten it…

This was a recipe by Rick Stein, you can probably find the original if you google it but this was my take on it..

Ingredients

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter

2 Large Aubergines
1 chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sweet paprika
pinch of dried chilli
Salt
1 pack of Lamb mince ( or minced lamb steak for a healthier option)
1/4 pint passata
1/4 pint white wine
Black pepper
grated Manchego cheese
Optional – chopped flat leaf parsley

Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and then score the flesh in a criss cross pattern being careful not to cut right through the skin. drizzle with oil and season with salt and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200 degrees gas mark 6 until the flesh is soft.

In the meantime fry the onions in a little oil in a frying pan then add the peppers and garlic. Fry for a few more minutes then add the spices and fry gently for a few minutes.

Add the lamb mince ( I actually minced up 2 lamb steaks to make a less fattening dish as lamb mince can be quite fatty.) and fry until lightly browned. then add the wine and passata and season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

When the aubergines are done – scoop out the flesh being careful to keep the skin in a shell that can be stuffed ( if it doesn’t scoop easily then there are not done!) then add to the lamb mixture and mix well.

Sprinkle the inside of the aubergine shells with a little salt.

Check the seasoning in the lamb mixture then stuff back into the aubergine halves and top with grated Manchego cheese and put back into the oven to warm the cheese through for about 5 – 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped flat leaf parsley.

 

12391400_10153123356587890_4632007962722249473_n

 

10259852_10153123356002890_1599886118093810360_n

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Posted on October 27, 2015 by gorgefood

My first attempt at pea soup last night and I was really impressed with the taste and how easy it was. Made a big batch so I can freeze a few portions.

Ingredients.

Serves 4 big bowls.

1 tbsp olive oil
3 large shallots or 1 small onion
2 large garlic cloves chopped
1 large leek washed and sliced into rings
1 large potato diced into small cubes
20g butter
1 litre vegetable stock
500g Frozen petit pois
Salt and white pepper.

Optional

1 thick slice of bread
Bacon lardons/Chopped bacon pieces or pancettea chunks. A large handful
Creme Fraiche

Melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion/shallot and garlic for 3 – 4 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for another 2 minutes then add the potato.

Mix together and then add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 12 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Add the peas and bring to the boil again then simmer for 2 minutes – If you do it too long they will lose their colour.

Take off the heat and add 2 teaspooons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper then blend the soup.

Strain the soup in small batches through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl using a spoon to push all the juice out of the pulp and discard the pulp. If too thick just add water and bring back to the boil for a few minutes.

In a small frying pan fry some bacon lardons/pancetta/bacon pieces until cooked and crispy.

Toast a thick piece of bread and cut out a disc shape and place the bacon on top and then place on top of the soup with a dollop of creme fraiche.

If you wanted to you could stir some chopped ham into the soup at the end.

Also good for Vegetarians, just leave out the bacon!

12047160_10153050344442890_2464919342179818126_n

Leave a Comment

Posted on October 5, 2015 by gorgefood

I love good food but I also love dirty food! Donner meat, spam, pork scratchings.. if it tastes good I like it – no food snobbery with me.

I do like a dirty donner kebab now and then and I don’t even have to be drunk! but there is always the worry of what you are eating and how much fat is in it so I decided to make my own version that does not include “eyeballs and arseholes” as someone one told me was in donner meat 😉 This way I know what I am eating and it tastes just as good!

This version I made on Friday night was a bit too meat like though (which is a good thing really!!) to make it a bit more donner like you might want to add some blended chick peas – which I will explain later.

Ingredients

To make donner meat for 2 large kebabs on naan or 4 small donners on pitta!

1 packet of Lamb mince
1 tsp Oregano
2 tsp plain flour
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt.

If you want to create a more artificial texture of meat..1/2 tin of chick peas blended to a paste.

Put all the spices in a bowl, add the lamb mince and squidge it all together. Add the chick pea paste if using.

Squash it all down into a loaf tin like you are making a meatloaf

12106711_10153019209427890_8452122383701233427_n

Bake in the oven at 180 for around 1 hour.

12118981_10153019209517890_4986909933542030210_n

Check if the meat is done in the middle by just cutting it in half as you will be slicing it all up anyway.

Let the meat cool a little and then slice into the thinnest slices you can.

Serve on a naan or in a pitta with shredded cabbage, sliced onions, tomatoes, yoghurt and mint sauce and chilli sauce!

I also added some fresh coriander as I have realised after starting this blog that I add it to everything!

12088336_10153016385127890_1029965075484616007_n

12036846_10153016385212890_7241628260983108510_n

Leave a Comment

Posted on September 29, 2015 by gorgefood

I got a free 40 page recipe booklet in my copy of “Good Food” this week which is a taster of a new cookbook called NOPI by Yotam Ottolenghi. I had a look through and there is a lot of stuff that excites me so you may be seeing quite a few of these in the coming weeks!

Tomatoes with wasabi mascarpone and pine nuts
Burnt spring onion dip with curly kale
Crushed Carrots with harissa and pistachio
Sprouting broccoli with edamame salad with curry leaves and coconut
Persian rice with burnt butter tzatziki
Aubergine cheesecake
Tagliatelle with walnuts and lemon
Spiced buttermilk cod with urid dhal.
Bourbon glazed ribs with smoked corn.

But back to the Butternut Squash with ginger, chilli tomatoes and lime yoghurt.. as I had the ingredients already in the cupboard! These tomatoes are absolutely the best tomatoes I have ever tasted and I will be making a job lot of them soon – they would be very good as canapes too.

Ingredients

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side or starter.

This recipe takes a lot of time to cook so read instructions fully before you start.

1 large butternut squash.
Olive oil
6 large good quality Tomatoes ( the recipe suggests plum but I used vine)
3cm piece ginger finely grated
1 red chilli – seeds removed
2 small garlic cloves crushed 
30g Muscovado sugar ( I didn’t have this so used normal sugar)
coarse sea salt
black pepper

Lime Yoghurt

120g Greek yoghurt ( or I used creme fraiche)
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
zest of 1/2 a lime and 1 and 1/2 tsp lime juice.

To serve

Coriander leaves
a handful of cashew nuts toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 240/220 fan

Cut the squash in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds and then cut widthways into slices.

12065694_10153010702082890_9174238465160011353_n12039342_10153010702137890_2444203834598993174_n

Mix the squash with 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tsp of salt and a grind of black pepper and then roast in the oven spead out for 35 – 40 minutes then set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven to 170/150 fan.

Halve the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and oil and place skin side down on a tray and bake for 70 minutes, Keep an eye on them if they are small as they will burn.

12063497_10153010702207890_2327359722535018277_n

Put the ginger, chilli, garlic, salt and sugar in a pestle and mortar and grind together to make a paste. When the tomatoes are done, spread a little bit of paste on each tomato and bake again for 30 – 40 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

12036634_10153010701982890_7284392006547071892_n

12072749_10153010702247890_8177421061407815226_n

Mix the lime yoghurt ingredients in a bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper and keep in the fridge until ready.

Spread the squash on a large plate and place the tomatoes in-between, then drizzle with the yoghurt and sprinkle with coriander and cashew nuts.

12027568_10153010702422890_2663636834922361505_n

I served a pan fried piece of cod on top of mine to make it a main course.

12042769_10153010702512890_2572656482568063364_n

A beautiful and healthy meal.

I shall be buying this book!

Leave a Comment

Posted on September 8, 2015 by gorgefood

A twist on a beef lasagne that is simple but tasty and a good meal to prepare in advance or even make a few of to freeze.

You can do this with or without the vegetables, I added them to try and get a bit of goodness in and also to use up some veg that was on the turn! its up to you although I do think the aubergine really compliments the dish and the carrot adds sweetness.

Ingredients

around 12 sheets of Lasagne – fresh if possible
250g Mozarella Cheese
50g fresh Parmesan – I actually had none in so used cheddar! sssshhh
8 Pork sausages – Ones with garlic and herbs are best.
2 cloves of garlic sliced
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional)
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Tomato puree
1/4 pint of red wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 medium onion diced
2 carrots diced
1/2 Aubergine diced
Splash of balsamic vinegar
5 sliced sundried tomatoes (optional)
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and squeeze nuggets of sausage out of their skins into the oil like little meatballs, it doesn’t matter what size and shape they are but quite large lumps. Fry until browned all round then add the garlic fennel and chilli flakes and cook for another minute.

Put this mixture aside and then cook the onions carrots and aubergine for around 5 – 7 minutes on a medium heat until soft. Add the sausage pieces back in the pan.

11960099_10152968571832890_2994769864515004293_n

11951989_10152968571902890_4638650196925738568_n

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs ( if using dried), wine, sund dried tomatoes if using and balsamic and then bring to the boil and simmer for around 15 – 20 minutes. If using fresh herbs add these after simmering. Season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 190 fan and start to assemble your lasagne.

I did not make a traditional white sauce for this lasagne as I thought it would take away from the sausage and fennel taste.

add a layer of lasagne sheets in a large rectangular oven proof dish then 1/3 of the sauce then 1/4 of the mozzarella and repeat twice. Make sure you keep some tomato sauce for the top of the last lasagne sheets then add the rest of the mozzarella and a handful of the Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes and take the foil off for another 10 minutes.

12006165_10152969150872890_1663290423973660921_n

Serve with Garlic bread and a side salad.

(This amount made 2 portions of the size you see above in the photo)

Off to get mine out of the oven now…

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100

Leave a Comment

Posted on September 6, 2015 by gorgefood

Hot and sweet dipping sauce.

This is a sauce that I have mentioned in a previous recipe that I saw in Olive magazine but I now regard the magazine one as a cheat version.  I made this to serve with my popadoms and samosas this weekend.

The sauce I made was..

(Cheats version)

2 tbsp Sriracha chilli sauce or Sambal Oelek  
2 tbsp light or sweet soy sauce
3cm piece of ginger – grated finely
3 tbsp Soft brown sugar
3 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 Lime – juiced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Ground Tumeric

This is a great dipping sauce in itself BUT  a few weeks ago I wanted to make it without using a shop bought Sriracha sauce so went to look for some ” Sambal Oelek” which proved difficult so I decided to look up a recipe and make my own! I made both sauces, the cheats version and the one with Sambal and did a taste test for Mr F and the one that took more effort of course was the winner by far!!

To make the sambal..

Sambal Ingredients

2cm piece of ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer leaves discarded and finely chopped.
6 fresh red chillis ( I left out some of the seeds but it depends how hot you want it and mine was pretty hot!!)
3 thai shallots peeled and finely chopped.
Zest of 1 lime
50ml White wine vinegar
Coarse salt
50g sugar.

Chop the ginger, garlic, shallot and lemon grass and put in a pestle and mortar with the chilli’s and half the lime zest.

Crush the ingredients together and gradually add the vinegar.

Add the salt and carry on until it resembles a paste. If you struggle you can always just use a blender.

Add the mixture to a cold pan and put over a high heat and mix while it heats up.

Add the sugar which will caramelise the mixture.

Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until it is like a pulp

When almost done add the rest of the lime zest.

You can use this as a marinade or a dip or you can use it with the ingredients as before…

Proper Version

2 Tablespoons Sambal paste ( as above) 
2 tbsp light or sweet soy sauce
3cm piece of ginger – grated finely
3 tbsp Soft brown sugar
3 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 Lime – juiced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Ground Tumeric

to make the best spicy dip I have ever tasted!

This goes great with griddled chicken thighs that have been marinaded in the sauce before hand with some on the side to dip into!

Any left over paste – just keep in  the fridge for another day.

1 Comment

Posted on September 6, 2015 by gorgefood

The original plan for my party was a Mango lassi panacotta with coconut ice cream but Pannacotta and vegetarian gelatin do not work! So I binned the lot and started again. I wanted something quite light after lots of food and something quite refreshing and not too sweet, then I remembered this recipe from Shelina’s book.

Shelina was my favourite Masterchef winner up until recently when local lad Simon won the title! Although I think Shelina’s food was the most interesting hence me buying her book.

This is really easy to make and can be done in about 10 minutes, my 3 year old helped me me this ( until I added the rum!)

Ingredients to serve 4

4 ginger biscuits
300ml double cream
1/4 vanilla pod – seeds scraped out
3 tbsp icing sugar
75ml Rum
juice and zest of 2 limes ( the recipie says 4 but I only had 2)
150ml of Mango puree – I bought a tin from the indian grocery shop but you could just blend fresh.
1 mango peeled and cut into small chunks
Desiccated coconut to sprinkle

Bas the ginger biscuits in a sandwich bag with a rolling pin and put the crumble in the bottom of each individual serving dish and put a teaspoon of rum on top of each.

Using an electric whisk, lightly whisk the cream, add the vanilla, icing sugar, rum, lime juice and zest  (save a little zest for decoration) and whisk until it forms light peaks. add 1/3 of the mango puree and half the chopped mango and fold through for a marbled effect.

Put the cream topping on the biscuit base and top with the rest of the mango puree and chopped mango and a sprinkle of dessicated coconut and some lime zest.

Refrigerate until ready to scoff!

11952696_10152964606577890_6175290582032636653_o

3 Comments

Posted on September 6, 2015 by gorgefood

A very tasty vegetarian curry that I thoroughly enjoyed! I used a traditional recipe but threw in a few things of my own near the end to enhance the taste so maybe not truly authentic!

I started with a recipe from “Curry Nation” by Madhur Jaffrey.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 large block of Paneer Cheese – around 500g cut into chunks
1 Medium onion chopped
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Fresh chopped chilli (I used 1 long chilli for a mild curry) 
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Tumeric
1 teaspoon Fenugreek leaves ( Methi)
2 handfull of frozen peas
a splash of whote wine vinegar
Salt
Butter
Coriander leaves to garnish
Magi liquid seasoning – optional

First of all you need to fry your chunks of Paneer in batches in hot oil until they are slightly golden all over. Be careful as they spit! Remove from the pan and put onto kitchen paper to drain.

In a large frying pan add oil and set over a medium heat. When hot add the onions and fry until see through then add the cumin seeds and cook for another few minutes. Add the garlic ginger and chilli and reduce the heat and mix well for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if it starts to burn on the bottom of the pan.

Add the tomato puree and some salt and then remove from the heat.

Blend this sauce and then put back into the pan and add the garam masala, tumeric and fenugreek leaves and combine into a paste. Add the peas and stir into the paste for a few minutes teh add half a pint of cold water. Bring to a boil and them reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the paneer and warm through.

At this point I tasted the sauce and thought it lacked richness so I added a tablespoon of butter and a bit more salt and a splash of white wine vinegar to make it a bit tangier. I also added a little more garam masala and fengreek until I thought that it tasted rich enough. Just be careful to add small amounts if you are trying to change the flavour though – you can always add but you cant take away!

A few splashes of magi liquid seasoning also brought the flavours out a lot more.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with rice and nann!

11952006_10152955138217890_1064132797695851681_n

1 Comment

Posted on September 6, 2015 by gorgefood

Samosa making is actually really easy and something I will be doing again soon! there are endless possibilities of what to stuff them with!

This weekend it was peas and potatoes with the help of a few spices! I found these really tasty, not too spicy and with a nice subtle blend of spices. I found the samosa wrappers ( Im not going as far as making my own!) in the freezer section of ASM Ashton and there are clear instruction on how to fold them on the back of the packet. At first I was trying to stick down the edges but if you fold them as shown there is no need and everything gets sealed in by the folds.

Unfortunately there are no pictures of the finished article as we had scoffed them all by the time I remembered to take a photo! Luckily I got one as I was making them.

Ingredients – to make around 20 samosas.

1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste ( or use one of the frozen blocks or use fresh ginger and garlic and crush to a paste)
1 birds eye chilli finely chopped.
4 Curry leaves
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp Curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp teaspoon cayenne pepper or chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp tumeric
3 small white potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
2 handfuls of frozen peas
1 tbsp chopped corriander stalks
Salt and pepper

Heat some oil in a pan and fry the shallot over a medium heat until see through then add the garlic and ginger paste, curry leaves and dry spices. Cook lightly for 1 minute then add the potatoes and cover the pan and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Keep your eye on it so that it does burn and stick to the pan though, if this starts to happen add a little water.

When the potatoes get soft mash them up a bit and then add the peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the coriander stalk and fresh chilli and season with salt.

Fill the samosa wrappers by putting some of the mixture in the left hand corner and then folding over to make a triangle, then fold again upwards and again downwards until you have a perfectly sealed triangle, you may want to stick the last piece down with a bit of water.

11986972_10152964606417890_5581380865620770857_n

Deep fry the parcels in batches of 3 or 4 – not too many as the oil will not be hot enough and they will stick together. Once the samosa looks crisp and floats to the top it is ready – this should only be around 1 minute depending on the size of your samosa and how much filling is in.

If you need to you can do this in advance and the reheat them in the oven later on which is what I had to do, they lose a bit of the crispiness but are still great served with a mint and yoghurt dip.

Groups
Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100

Hits
  • 54,851 hits

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com