CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE

Prepare:
Cut 4 quality Cumberland sausages each into three even sized pieces
Dice 1 small chicken breast
Dice 1 small peeled organic carrot
Rinse and cut 4 thin circles from a piece of courgette and half each (no need to peel)
Rinse and dice one eighth of each red and yellow bell peppers
Rinse and cut a 6" length of leek longways down the middle and into 4 equal pieces
Remove the stalks from 2 large closed cup mushrooms. Wipe off any debris, peel and cut the mushrooms into 4 even sized pieces. Also use the stalks in the recipe.
Drain a 454g can of baked beans in tomato sauce (Branston is my favourite) using only the beans in the recipe
Roughly pull apart a seeded flat bread into around 3" diameter pieces
COOK:
Turn hob heat on to med/high and heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the sausage, chicken, carrot and leek and turn for 4 mins.
Reduce hob heat and  add the courgette and bell peppers and mushrooms turning for 3 mins.
Add quarter tsp fennel seeds and dried sage and the drain baked beans and stir for 2 mins.
Randomly add the seeded flat bread pieces, turn hob heat off and leave for 2 minutes before serving as is.
Serve 2 small portions or 1 large.

CHICKEN STRIPS & PASTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

CHICKEN STRIPS & PASTA IN TOMATO SAUCE
Prepare:
Measure out frozen veg into a bowl - 2 tbsp green beans, 2 tsbp peas, 3 small broccoli florets.
2 tbsp grated fresh carrot
Cut half inch round from a small butternut squash and sweet potato; peel and dice finely
Cut 2" piece of leek, rinse and long slice
Half a small red onion, peel and long slice, retain other half for another day
Place all the veg into a non stick frypan and dry fry on hot heat for 3 mins stirring continuously.
Grate 2 garlic pieces and add to the pan with half a large can of tomatoes, roughly snip the tomatoes with the scissors and add half a cup plain water, half tsp salt & white pepper and stir in.
Measure out 1 tsp each dried herbs - I used thyme, oregano and fennel and sprinkle them into the tomato mix with 1 tsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp runny honey.
Bring to the boil cooking for 3 mins. Add a handful of your chosen pasta. I used wholemeal spiral pasta, stir in.
Meantime Cut a chicken breast into butterfly shape (use scissors to cut in two pieces without severing completely, open the breast flat into a butterfly shape); cut the chicken into long quarter inch slices and stir into the tomato mix. Bring back to boil then lower heat to medium. After 10 minutes lower heat again to low and cook a further 10 mins. Serves 2 small portions or 1 large.
RECIPE LINKS -
Italian-style stuffed aubergines

CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE 

BACON & LEEK BRAISE

Prepare:
Rinse half a leek. Chop into rough slices.
Peel half a red onion and cut into wedge slices.
Peel, top and tail, then cut 1 small carrot and parsnip into matchstick sized pieces.
Dry fry 4 slices unsmoked back bacon in a deep pan on medium heat, 2 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add 2 tsp oil to the pan and add the veg stirring for 4 minutes.
Add the bacon and half a large can of chopped tomatoes and 2 tsp dried basil, 2 tsp runny honey and a pinch salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and leave lidded for 15 minutes before serving with naan bread.
CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE

MELTING MIDDLE FISH CAKES

Either the day before or at least 6 hours before making - Mix 1tbsp low fat mayonnaise, 2 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt, 1 tsp fresh chopped or dried chives and the zest of half a lemon. Spoon mix into 4 ice cube tray sections and freeze until solid.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook 300g peeled and diced potatoes (either white or sweet potatoes) for 12 minutes. Drain and mash with 160g drained can of tuna or salmon, and  a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat oven to 200C / 180 fan / gas 4 . Mix 30g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs with 1tsp rapeseed oil.

Shape a portion of  mashed fish mix around each frozen cube concealing it. Flatten a little, dip in 1 beaten egg and coat lightly with the breadcrumbs.
Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and cook 15 minutes. (Once cooked they can be frozen and reheated at a later date 180C / 160 fan / gas 4 for 25 minutes.)

Serve with veg of your choice cooking in the same dish as the fish cakes. I chose 3 chestnut mushrooms, 1 peeled / top /tailed quartered red onion and tinned drained marrowfat peas. Seven minutes before the end of cooking time I added a frozen slice of garlic bread.
Serves 2 -4 depending on how hungry/greedy you are.

MY RECIPE LINKS:

CRISPY PARMA HAM

SWEET & SOUR PORK

TOMY CHICKEN

Pulled pork and gammon with greens

piri orzo

CALAMARI NOODLES

Defrost handful of each frozen raw jumbo prawns and calamari rings. Sprinkle with 1 tsp smoked paprika / chilli flakes and pinch salt.
Prepare veg:
Rough chop 1 small organic onion
Small dice 1 stick celery
Small dice half  a parsnip
Peel 1 small sweet potato and use a veg peeler to make thin sliced ribbons
Thin slice 2 chestnut mushrooms
Using high heat add 2 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil and 1 tsp butter in a wok or deep fry pan. Add the raw prawns and calamari and turn constantly in the hot oil for 3 minutes. Remove the prawns and calamari and set aside.
Maintain the high heat and add the onion, celery and parsnip constantly stirring for 2 minutes.
Bring a pan of boiling water to boil and add a portion of saba whole wheat noodles. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Meantime add the sweet potato and sliced mushrooms to the wok and keep stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato puree and 1 tsp cider vinegar.
Drain the noodles and mix into the fry pan for 1 minute. Add the prawns and calamari stirring in, add a lid and leave for 2 minutes before serving with a sprinkling of oyster sauce.
CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE

DUCK BREAST / DUCK FAT ROASTIES with LEEK / Braised cod (2 for 1 prep)

Preheat an oven 250F or 200fan for 10 minutes.
Score the fatty sides of 2 duck breasts with long cuts of a sharp knife. Place in a small casserole with fatty side uppermost and add a lid. When the oven is at the correct temperature put the casserole in the oven and cook 10 minutes while preparing veg.
Prepare:
Trim half a leek, rinse and long slice down the middle, then slice again to make 4 long quarters.
Peel 250g salad potatoes and cut into small equal sized portions
Peel 1 carrot and 1 parsnip, top and tail and cut into chip sized portions
The duck breast will have rendered fat after 10 minutes cooking. Carefully drain off the fat into a heatproof jug and return the casserole back to the oven.
Lower oven heat to 200F or 180fan.
Put the veg into a baking dish beginning with the leek then pile both the potatoes, carrot and parsnip evenly on top. Sprinkle with salt and pour the duck fat over the veg.
Continue cooking for 30 minutes, turning the veg in the baking dish after 15 minutes to recoat the veg.
After cooking time is finished trim the excess fat from the duck breasts and serve with the roast veg. Enough to serve 2.
If serving 1 reserve half the roasties for...

BRAISED COD

Bring to boil a 125g can chopped tomatoes, 250g can butter beans including the water, 2tbsp cut green beans, 2tbsp frozen garden peas and the reserved roasties from the above recipe. 

Add 2tsp chopped parsley, 2tsp oregano, salt and white pepper to taste.

Add a defrosted portion of chunky cod loin to the middle of the pan. Bring the heat down to low, add a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of chilli infused oil.

MY RECIPE LINKS:

CRISPY PARMA HAM

SWEET & SOUR PORK

TOMY CHICKEN

Pulled pork and gammon with greens

piri orzo

CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE

QUICK TURKEY STEW

Use high hob heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1tsp turmeric, 1 tsp smoked paprika to an 8" frying pan. Add 60g turkey mince, 1 finely chopped garlic clove and 1" thinly sliced cooking chorizo flattening out in the frypan in a large circle and fry both sides 3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add 1 small diced carrot and parsnip and cook for 2 minutes.
Quarter 1 large flat mushroom and add to the pan cooking for a further minute.
Add 1 can plum tomatoes to the fry pan and snip the tomatoes randomly. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes stirring. Stir in 1 tsp cornflour.
Add 2tbsp frozen sliced green beans and frozen garden peas and half a large can of  drained butter beans, Bring back up to the boil.
Stir in 1 tbsp chilli infused olive oil, 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp honey and 2 tbsp white rice.
Roughly break up the turkey mince mix and spread the mix evenly on top of the tomato mix, add a lid and reduce hob heat to low and cook for 15 minutes to reduce the sauce. Serves 1.

DUCK BREAST / DUCK FAT ROASTIES with LEEK  / Braised cod (2 for 1 prep) 

OTHER OF MY RECIPE LINKS:
CRISPY PARMA HAM
SWEET & SOUR PORK
TOMY CHICKEN
Pulled pork and gammon with greens
piri orzo