SWEET & SOUR PORK

Prepare:

Measure out 3tbsp diced frozen onion (or dice half a fresh white onion)

Rinse and cut the roots off 2 spring onions

Dice half an orange bell pepper

Use a vegetable peeler to peel 1 carrot & 1 parsnip. Continue using the peeler to make long ribbon strips of both until you have a half inch diameter portion left. Cut the portions into matchstick sized  pieces

Rinse 3 baby sweetcorn and thin slice into small discs

Measure out 2 tbsp frozen garden peas, 2 tbsp cut green frozen beans

Thinly slice 2 chestnut mushrooms

Peel and thinly slice 3 garlic cloves & a thumb nail sized piece of fresh ginger

Mix into a small bowl with 1tbsp soft brown sugar, 1tbsp cider vinegar, 1tbsp chilli infused oil, 1tbsp tomato ketchup.   

Cut a palm sized portion of pork loin into long thin strips. Use high heat & 2 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add the pork and move around in the pan for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, matchstick veg, baby sweetcorn discs and bell pepper to the pan and move veg around for 3 minutes.

Add the carrot and parsnip ribbons and move around the pan for 2 minutes.

Add peas and green beans stirring for 1 minute.

Stir in the vinegar / chilli mix 1 minute.

Add the chestnut mushrooms & 2tbsp cold water stirring for 1 minute.

Return the pork loin to the pan stirring for 1 minute.

Add a lid to the pan, turn the heat off and leave for 2 minutes before serving.

TOMY CHICKEN (NEW JAN 2020 RECIPE)

Seafood & veg curry

I used frozen vegetables and seafood straight from the bag for this quick curry
Serves 1
Measure out 2 tbsp cut leek, 1 tbsp sliced carrot, 1 tbsp sliced green beans, 1 tbsp broad beans, 1 tbsp garden peas, 1 small broccoli floret
Put 1.5 cup vegetable stock on high heat in a 8" fry pan and add the above vegetables stirring until the stock reaches boiling point.
Stir in 3 tbsp wild rice, 1 cardamon pod, 2 cloves, 2 heaped tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp turmeric, and continue boiling and stirring for 4 minutes.
Add 1 frozen scallop, 3 tbsp sliced frozen squid and continuing boiling and stirring for 2 minutes.
Add 2 tbsp frozen prawns and 1 can drained haricot beans stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp garam masala.
Peel a large flat mushroom and snip into 1" strips with a pair of kitchen scissors adding to the fry pan.
Turn the hob heat down to low, add a lid and continue cooking for 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
Serve with naan bread.
Latest December recipe:
SWEET & SOUR PORK
CHICKEN WITH LEEK & CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE

PIRI ORZO

Serves 1

Use the tomato sauce drained from a large can of baked beans and heat it together in a fry pan alongside 2 cups of salted water until boiling point is reached.

Measure out 2 tbsp red lentils and 3 tbsp rinsed orzo and stir into the liquid bringing it back up to boiling point and stirring for 2 minutes.

Stir in 3 grated garlic cloves, 4 tbsp frozen garden peas, 1 chopped piri flavoured mackerel fillet. 

Turn the heat down to low hob setting, add a lid and leave for 8 minutes.

Add 2 sliced chestnut mushrooms and leave for a further 4 minutes until the mixture thickens and the liquid is absorbed. 

Stir in 2 tsp double cream before serving.

Use the separated baked beans for another day in 

BAKED STUFFED LEEK & SAUSAGE

BAKED STUFFED LEEK & SAUSAGE SQUASH

MY FAVOURITE NEW OCTOBER 2019 RECIPE:

 

Serves 2

Preheat an oven to 180 fan 200C for 10 minutes whilst preparing a small round squash. Clean it using the rough side of a washing up pad and hot water.
Cut the squash in half horizontally, scoop out the seeds and add 1 tsp duck fat to the cavities. Place in the oven for 40 minutes roasting time.
Meantime prepare the filling:
Dice 2 chestnut mushrooms, dice 2" pieces red & orange bell peppers.
Rinse 6" piece of leek and dice.
Cut 2 quality sausages into half inch pieces.
Remove any membrane from the squash seeds and place in a ramekin dish with 1 tsp sumac powder & 1tsp duck fat.
Drain the tomato sauce from 1 large can baked beans in tomato sauce retaining the sauce for another day.

For the last 15 minutes of baking layer the squash halves with the filling as follows:
half the diced leek, all of the diced bell peppers, all of the diced mushrooms, all of the
sausage. Add a sprinkling salt / pepper and grated cheese of your choice.
Mix the remaining diced leek into the baked beans and spoon alongside the filled squash.
For the last 10 minutes of baking time roast the squash seeds.
Serve with a sprinkling of squash seeds on top of the leek/beans mixture with the filled squash.
Use the retained tomato sauce for another day to make piri orzo

Pork loin with caramelised onions

Per person
Thinly slice a chunky 100g pork loin  and fry for 3 mins each side in hot 4 tbsp. sesame oil and 1 tbsp melted butter. Remove from the fry pan and set aside.
Finely dice a peeled red onion and 2 spring onions and fry for 6 minutes on medium heat turning frequently. Add a pinch of salt and white pepper.
Cut 1 carrot in matchsticks size and add to the frypan turning for 2 minutes.
Add half a sliced orange sweet pepper, 2 baby sweetcorns, 1 finely diced mushroom, 1 peeled and crushed garlic clove, half a green chilli pepper  and 1 tsp cider vinegar, continue frying until the moisture has been absorbed.
Return the pork loin to the pan for 1 minute. Turn the hob heat off and leave for 2 minutes before serving.

Orange and turmeric scallops

Prepare per person:
2 spring onions finely diced
6 scallops
Rinse 6 sugarsnap peas trimming off any woody ends
Rinse 2 baby sweetcorns
1 carrot cut into fine long ribbons using potato peeler
Rinse a 4" piece of cucumber and ribbon slice the green rind from it
3 medium mushrooms diced
1 thumbsized piece of fresh ginger finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
Grate the zest from half a large juicy orange, remove the yellow pith and pips and roughly chop the orange
1 tsp turmeric and freshly ground black pepper
1 can drained chickpeas
1 tsp milled linseed

Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil then add the spring onions turning for 2 minutes.
Add 1 tbsp butter allowing it to melt and blend in with another tbsp oil. Fry the scallops 2 minutes each side until golden. Remove both the spring onions and scallops and set aside.
Add the sugarsnap peas and baby sweetcorns to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the carrot and cucumber ribbons and fry for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, orange zest, turmeric and black pepper frying for 1 minute.
Add the chopped fresh orange, drained chickpeas and return the scallops and spring onions to the pan.
Add a lid and leave for 3 minutes.
Turn off the hob heat and leave for a further minute.
Serve with a sprinkling of milled linseed.
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CRISPY PARMA HAM

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Sour dough prawn scramble 

Sour dough prawn scramble

A simple and easy lunch, brunch or snack.
Cut one door step slice of cob sour dough bread and spread generously with full fat philadelphia cheese spread  or use the light version if you are counting calories. Grate on some freshly ground chilli flakes.
Per person:
Crack 4 eggs into a bowl, add half-tsp cajun spices and lightly whisk. Top with fresh grating of 3 peppercorn mix (black, red, white)
Heat a frypan with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on high heat for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and add the eggs spreading evenly in the pan. Leave for 1 minute then begin stirring the mixture until firm and scrambled (about 5 minutes) depending on egg size (I use large).
Add 250g cooked cocktail prawns (I like a generous portion but you could use half this amount). Slice 3 plum tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Turn off the heat, add a lid and leave for 2 minutes.
Top the sour dough with the egg mix and grate over some freshly ground paprika pepper.
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CRISPY PARMA HAM

CRISPY PARMA HAM PASTA

Prepare:
Dice 100g parma ham (streaky bacon or gammon can also be used).
Dice 2 spring onions, 1 small red chilli, 1 roasted red pepper (drained from a jar), 3 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chopped basil / parsley. Snip a small handful of salad watercress from a growing pot.
Measure 2 tbsp cooked black eyed beans from a jar and rinse off the thick white paste.
Boil water and quarter tsp salt in a wide saucepan (just enough to cover a large handful of your favourite pasta). When it reaches boiling point add the pasta, bring back to the boil.
Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. This may take a bit longer if you choose larger pasta shells. I used wholemeal pasta spirals.
Meantime heat 1 tbsp oil on high heat and stir in the parma ham, stirring continuously until nice and crisp. Remove from the pan.
Add the spring onions to the same pan and fry for 2 minutes followed by the chilli, red peppers and cook a further 2 minutes. Add the grated garlic, cook for 1 minute then stir in 2 tbsp creme frache and 2 tbsp cooked black eyed beans and half the crisped parma ham. Stir for 2 minutes to make a nice thick sauce.
Drain the cooked pasta and stir into the sauce with the basil / parsley.
Serve 1 topped with grated cheddar cheese, salad watercress and the remainder of the crisped parma.
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Sour dough prawn scramble 

Vintage cheddar coated carbs

Scrub 10 small new potatoes and slice in half. Place into a roasting dish which will be your serving dish. Sprinkle with ground seasalt, 1 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil and 1 tsp white vinegar and place in a preheated oven 200C / 180fan for 40 minutes.
Meantime quarter one small butternutsquash and scrub the outer hard skin and chop the squash into even sized cubes or boat shapes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp extra virgin rapeseed oil and add to the roasting dish for the last 25 minutes of cooking time.
Scoop out the squash seeds and place in a small ovenproof dish and sprinkle with oil and cook for the last 10 minutes of cooking time on the lowest oven shelf.
Rinse 4 asparagus tips, 2 baby sweetcorns and 2 tbsp garden peas. Place in a dish the length of the tips, add one closed cup mushroom. Sprinkle with oil and bake on the lowest shelf for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. NB - this is the perfect timing for tender tips, any longer will produce stringy not nice tips.
Meantime for the vintage cheddar:
100 g Scottish Vintage Cheddar cheese grated
large knob of butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
half tsp English mustard powder
1 tsp plain flour
2 tbsp beer stout or cider
Place the cheese, butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, flour and beer into a small saucepan.
Heat gently, stirring until the cheese melts and all the ingredients blend together to form a thick paste. Allow to cool.
Spoon the mixture over the carbs for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Arrange veg and squash seeds as a topping to serve.

Lemon honey baked chicken

My lunch on the last day of January

I picked up an organically farmed lovely discounted chicken while grocery shopping, returned home and drizzled over it a simple dressing of 1tbsp oil, 1tsp runny honey, lemon juice. salt and pepper and bunged it in the oven 180 fan for 1.30 mins then took Ozzy my dog to the local beach whilst it was cooking.

It was a gift of a grand day.

On returning with 15 minutes to spare I added to the oven, a portion of left over mashed butternutsquash topped with frozen peas and green beans to heat through. I simply chopped the chicken in half and shared it with Ozzy my dog. Dribbling gorgeous gift of food.

Cocktail paprika prawns

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Cocktail prawns are lightly pre-cooked so only need a gentle warm up for this meal using 2 tiers of a steamer.
As there is no frying this is a lower calorie dish.
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Per person:
Using 125g fresh cooked cocktail prawns layer in a small heatproof handled dish with 1 tbsp prawns, 1 tsp paprika,  1 tbsp prawns, 1tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp prawns, sprinkling of white pepper, the remaining prawns and 1 finely diced garlic clove, half tsp chopped fresh ginger, 2tsp olive oil, a dash of lemon juice & half tsp harissa paste. Stir to combine then leave in the fridge until cooking time.
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Soak 1 tbsp each wild rice, orzo, red and brown lentils by measuring them out and just covering with cold water and leave in the frige for at least half an hour, rinsing before cooking.
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Place quarter pint of vegetable stock into the first layer of the steamer and bring to boil or depending on the size of your steamer ensure that the grains will be just covered. Add the drained pre-soaked grains, 1 tbsp chick peas from a can and 1 tbsp fresh parsley. Top with a lid and bring back up to boil and turn the hob heat to moderate to cook for 15 minutes.
In the second layer of the steamer add three closed cup mushrooms, 1 small broccoli floret, 6 topped/tailed green beans and 2oz frozen gardens peas to cook alongside the grains.
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After 5 minutes cooking time place the dish with the prawns mix into the steamer top tier, replace the lid and cook for remaining minutes.
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Serve together, draining off any excess sauce juice if you wish which can be used as a stir fry seasoning etc next day.