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.
.
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

.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
Serve together, draining off any excess sauce juice if you wish which can be used as a stir fry seasoning etc next day.

Whole chicken breast tandoori

.
Using a 3 tier steamer is a quick way to cook this meal in a healthy way retaining the natural juices of the chicken breast to mingle with tandoori spices.


Prepare per person:


1 large chicken breast sprinkled with salt / white pepper


2 whole savoy cabbage leaves, rinsed


Half a small red onion, peeled and diced


1 tbsp each red and yellow diced bell pepper


1tbsp diced courgette


1 diced flat mushroom


　


In a bowl mix together (same amount of spices whether cooking for one person or more):


1tbsp tomato puree


1 tbsp tandoori spice


1 tbsp garam masala


4 cardomon seeds


1 tsp turmeric


1 tsp cumin


half tsp salt


Per person top the above bowl with:


1 tbsp wild rice


1 tbsp both red and brown lentils


1 tbsp bulghur wheat


Over high hob bring to boil half pint vegetable stock in the base of a 3 tiered steamer. When bubbling add the onion, bell peppers, courgette and mushroom and bring back to the boil.


Spoon and stir in the contents of the tandoori mixture bowl. NB - if cooking for more than one person just ensure that the stock liquid used just covers the ingredients.


Put the chicken breast in the second pan of the steamer and the whole cabbage leaves not overlapping in the top pan of the steamer. Add the steamer's lid and leave on high heat for 10 minutes.


Lower the heat to medium / low and allow to cook for another 15 minutes.
My liquid was well absorbed but if necessary, sieve if there is too much liquid residue.


Serve with the chicken breast topping the cabbage leaves and then the tandoori sauce with a sprinkling of ground linseed.
.
Another November RECIPE:

RUGBY BALL SQUASH WITH GIANT COUSCOUS STUFFING

.

RUGBY BALL SQUASH WITH GIANT COUSCOUS STUFFING

.
Squash comes in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. I like this recipe using a yellow rugby shaped squash but it can be adapted to any squash. Because this type has a hard outer shell I find the perfect way to cook it is in my slow cooker with savoury couscous stuffing.
Even though this takes 4 hours to cook I describe it as a quick snack because I like to start cooking it before I go out walking and return to a hassle free ready to eat home cooked meal.　


The night before measure out 100g giant couscous into a bowl and just cover with vegetable stock or cold water and leave in the fridge until ready to cook.　


Also prepare the stuffing mixture in another bowl:
Half a finely diced red onion
One quarter each finely diced red and orange bell pepper
One finely diced sundried tomato
I savoy cabbage leaf, rinsed, destemmed and diced
　
Blitz 1tbsp olive oil with two green chilli peppers, 2 cloves garlic, half tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp white vinegar, and half tsp salt for 5-10 seconds with to make a smooth paste and stir into the 2nd bowl with the prepared veg then leave overnight in the fridge.
.
TO COOK:
Preheat the slow cooker on high heat for 10 minutes prior to adding the food.
Scrub 1 rugby squash and dry with a kitchen towel. The outer shell is hard so carefully cut in half with a sharp knife then again so you have 4 pieces.
Scoop out the seeds and pulp and brush the insides of the squash with olive oil.
Rinse 4 large broccoli florets and rinse / top / tail 8 green beans.
　
.
Mix the contents of the two prepared bowls together and fill the squash cavities with the stuffing pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon. Arrange the squash pieces evenly into the preheated slow cooker and if there is any remaining stuffing mix spoon it into spaces in the slow cooker cooking bowl.
Place the florets and green beans into spaces in the bowl.
Add a lid which is well sealed so no air can get in or juices escape. If they do you have filled it too full. I used a one pint slow cooker so if yours is smaller adapt to this by using less cooking ingredients and the cooking time will still be the same.
Slow cook for 4 hours on high.
The squash is used a serving vessel and should not be eaten as it will still have a tougher consistency.
I served mine with a can of mackerel fillets in tomato sauce.
I just opened the tin, discarded the lid and placed it into the slow cooker for around 10 minutes whilst I prepared my drink, fruit salad and tray etc. 
Serves 2 well or 4 as a snack.
.
Whole chicken breast tandoori

.

Turkey green tabasco steak

.

Per person:
Season 1 turkey steak both sides with salt / white pepper
Rinse veg then prepare-
Remove and discard the spine from 1 cavolo nero leaf
Top and tail 4 green beans and 2 runner beans. Leave the green beans whole and chop the runner beans into one inch pieces
Remove and discard the spine from one spring cabbage leaf and slice into strips
Remove root from 2 spring onions and chop into one inch pieces
Remove stems from 2oz cut kale
Finely chop 2 sundried tomatoes from a jar preserved in oil.
Lightly brush any debris from a large flat mushroom and peel, leave whole
Put 2 tbsp of the oil from the sundried tomato jar into a large pan and heat on high heat.
Add the turkey steak into the middle of the pan, sprinkle over Tabasco green pepper sauce and leave for 2 minutes. Arrange the green veg around the steak, spoon 1tsp of the cooking oil on the veg, add a lid and leave for 2 minutes.
Turn all the food and sprinkle over more Tabasco green pepper sauce onto the turkey steak, and 1tsp butter and 1tsp water over the greens. Randomly add the sundried tomatoes over the greens.
Lower the heat a couple of settings, whilst adding the mushroom upper side down in the pan then leave lidded for 2 minutes.
Turn the mushroom over and cook all for a further 2 minutes.
Serve with a sprinkling of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
.
RUGBY BALL SQUASH WITH GIANT COUSCOUS STUFFING

.
Whole chicken breast tandoori

.