Creole jambalaya

February 14, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Gorgeous and so flavorful.

Serves 6
12 oz ground pork
1 tbsp olive oil
5 oz Spanish chorizo, diced
1 onion, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
7 fl oz white wine
14 or 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 3/4 pints chicken stock, and more if required
12 oz brown basmati rice
4 oz shelled raw prawns, tails left on if you like
3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
4 scallions, sliced
sour cream, optional

Season the ground pork and roll it into bite sized meatballs.
Heat a large pan, add a dash of oil and brown the meatballs for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the diced chorizo, onion, garlic and peppers to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, turmeric, paprika and cumin and stir for 1 minutes more before pouring in the white wine and tomatoes.
Meanwhile, heat the stock separately.

Add the rice to the pan and stir well. Pour the stock into the rice and meatball, and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Add more stock if it is getting too dry.

Stir in the prawns and cook for 4 to 4 minutes or until they turn pink.
Before serving, stir in the parsley and scallions, then season to taste.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if you like.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Meat · Pasta · Soup

Asian spicy pork and greens soup

February 6, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Soothing, healthy and comforting soup.

1/2 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 bunch mustard greens, torn (about 4 cups)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
8 oz wide rice noodles
Also nice to try it with;
beet greens, kale or turnip greens

Mix the pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper flakes and cumin in a medium bowl.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the pork mixture; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon until browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to the boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add mustard greens, scallions, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally until the greens are tender, 5 to 8 minutes, season with salt and black pepper.
Meanwhile cook the rice noodles according to the package directions and drain.
Divide the noodles among the bowls and ladle the soup over

Asian flavors · Meat

Mild lamb curry with cilantro rice

January 8, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

I am a curry freak and a lamb freak, so what’s not to like in this! It’s very mild and rather soothing, so I think the curry novices will also like this
This is a recipe from Rachel Allen, an Irish recipe book writer and chef.

Serves 6

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp cardamon seeds
4 cloves
3 tbsp sunflower oil
4 onions, sliced
2 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch dice and fat removed
2 tsp ground turmeric
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp root ginger, finely chopped
1 red chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cream
1/2 cup lamb or chicken stock
lime or 1/2 lemon, juiced
cilantro leaves for garnish

For the rice
1 lb basmati rice
2 tbsp butter
8 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Toast the seeds and cloves then crush them using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder

Pour 2 tbsp of the sunflower oil into a large lidded casserole dish or Dutch oven on a high heat, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened and nicely golden.
Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining oil to the pan.
Place the lamb in the pan and sear until well browned, making sure the pieces of meat don’t touch, or they will not sear but steam.

Return the onions to the pan and all the seared meat and add the crushed spices along with the turmeric, garlic, ginger and chili.
Season with salt and pepper, toss everything together to combine and stir in the cream and stock, scraping any sediment from the bottom of the pan.

Bring slowly to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat and cover with a lid.
Leave to simmer gently for about 1 hour, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes.

*Alternatively, cook it in an ovenproof dish or pan, cooking in the oven, preheated to 325 F for an hour, leaving the lid on for the whole cooking time.
Check that the lamb is tender, cooking for a little longer if necessary

Add the lime or lemon juice and check the seasoning.

For the rice- Place the rice in double it’s volume of salted water or chicken broth, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the rice is cooked and all the moisture has been absorbed.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes, with the lid on.
Stir in the butter and cilantro, using a fork in order not to mash the rice

Do-ahead · Meat · Poultry

Braised Turkish chicken

January 7, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

So many interesting flavors going on here, and all in one pot! I love “one-pot cooking.

Serves 4

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 large free range chicken thighs
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 red pepper, sliced in rings
1 small eggplant, diced into 1 inch chunks
1 green chile, sliced, with seeds
Handful of fresh thyme, tied together with string
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (I roast my own as they are more pungent)
4 oz of spiced Turkish sausage, or chorizo, skinned and sliced in 3/4 inch pieces
2 oz fine bulgar wheat
6 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
17 fl oz chicken stock
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses or tamarind paste
1 small cinnamon stick
1 star anise

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F

Heat the olive olive oil in a heavy based saucepan until almost smoking and season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and a splash of oil.

Put the thighs in the pan, skin side down and cook until the skin is nicely browned.

Lift them out and then add the onions, garlic, eggplant, chile, thyme, cumin and sausage for about 12 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Add the bulgar and dates, followed by the tomato puree and stir well.
Pour in the red wine vinegar, followed by the chicken stock, pomegranate molasses, cinnamon and star anise and bring to the boil.

Turn the heat off and nestle the thighs back in so that the flesh is under the liquid but the skin is still sticking out.
Put a lid on the pan and put it in the oven for 40 minutes.
When you take it out, remove the lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve with great bread.

Do-ahead · Meat

Fabulous braised oxtail

January 6, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

I know this is something that Americans may turn their nose up at, but if you eat and like Osso Bucco, you’ll LOVE this.
It’s rich, meaty, fall-off-the-bone good, inexpensive to buy and very satisfying, especially sitting on a bed of mashed potato or mashed cauliflower.
And don’t forget to suck out the inside of the bones, where all that calcium-rich bone marrow is!

Cook time – 3 hours 50 mins
Serves 4 to 6

2- 3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
3 -4 lbs oxtail
4 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and roughly diced
2 stalks celery, peeled, trimmed and roughly diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Colemans English mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
17 fl oz (500 mls) red wine
14 fl oz (400 mls) beef stock
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme

In a bowl, mix the flour with a generous grind of black pepper. Place a large flameproof Dutch oven or casserole pot over a high heat and add the oil.

Pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper. Roll the pieces in the seasoned flour and add to the pot one by one.
Don’t overcrowd the pan, or you won’t get a nice dark brown color on them, as they will steam and look pale. Do it in two batches.
Brown the oxtail on all sides, turning with the kitchen tongs until the meat is a really rich dark brown color.
Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Preheat the oven to 325 F

Add an extra drop of oil to the pot, reduce the heat and add the onion, carrot and celery.
Fry for 5 minutes until just tender. Stir through the tomato puree, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until evenly combined.

Pour over the red wine, beef stock and balsamic vinegar and pop in the rosemary and thyme sprigs.
Season with salt.
Cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook slowly for 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling away from the bone.

Serve on a bed of mashed potato or mashed cauliflower.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat · Poultry

A “one pot meal”- Baked bacon wrapped sausages with sweet potato and fennel

January 5, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

A gem from the BBC Good Food website, and all thrown together in one baking dish.
How easy is this to do when you get home from work!

Serves 4

1lb sweet potatoes, roughly chopped into medium sized chunks
1 bulb fennel, chopped into 1/4 inch slices
3 large garlic cloves
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
8 good quality sausages of your choice
8 thick rashers of bacon
1 tbsp plain flour (or GF flour)
4 fl oz apple juice
2 fl oz dry white wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme or fennel fronds if you can find them

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Place the sweet potato and fennel in a large roasting tin with the garlic, celery seeds and brown sugar.
Drizzle over the olive oil and give everything a good muddle so all the vegetables are coated and seasoned well.

Wrap each sausage in a rasher of bacon so it looks mummified and then nestle them in with the vegetables.
Roast the whole lot in the oven for about 25 minutes

Lightly sprinkle over the flour and jiggle the tin until it’s disappeared and has been incorporated among the vegetables.
Pour over the apple juice, white wine and balsamic vinegar, add the herbs, then continue to roast for a further 20 minutes until everything is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
Check for seasoning and serve immediately

Appetizers · Gluten Free · Meat

Baked mozzarella balls wrapped in prosciutto with a herb tomato sauce

January 5, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Crispy prosciutto balls encompassing melting mozzarella with a herb flavored tomato sauce.

Serves 4

4 balls (4oz each) buffalo mozzarella
ground pepper
8 thin slices Italian prosciutto
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/2 cup Passata (tomato puree)
6 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded
5 basil leaves
5 tarragon leaves
sea salt and ground pepper

To serve

a little chopped basil and tarragon
olive oil to drizzle

For the sauce heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan and sweat the shallot and garlic over low heat until soft.

Add the vinegar and cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes until reduced, then add the passata and tomatoes, and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the herbs and remaining olive oil and cook over a very low heat for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and a deep red.
Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then push through a coarse sieve and set aside.

Preheat an oven to 300 F. Season the mozzarella with pepper and roll up in the prosciutto allowing 2 slices per ball of cheese.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat until just smoking.
Place the parcels in the pan, and sear, turning constantly, until the outsides are well colored, about 1 minute.
Transfer the parcels to a baking dish and cook in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Spoon the tomato sauce in the center of individual plates and sprinkle with the chopped basil and tarragon.
Set a mozzarella parcel on top, drizzle with olive oil and serve!

Meat · Pasta

Pasta chorizo carbonara

January 3, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

A little cross culture and all the better for it too! Well worth a try.

Serves 2 but can easily be doubled

6 oz spaghetti, linguini or other long pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo, crumbled, or the bought cooked one, cut into small dice
2 large egg yolks
4 fl oz heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the pasta to a large pan of well salted boiling water and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the chorizo and fry briskly for about 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.

Whisk the egg yolks and cream together and season lightly. (since the chorizo is already seasoned quite well)

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and immediately return it to the hot saucepan.
Tip in the cooked chorizo, followed by the egg mixture.
Use 2 forks to mix the eggy cream into the hot pasta.
It will cook in the heat of the pasta, coating each strand in a light creamy sauce.

Serve straight away, with a final twist of black pepper on top

Gluten Free · Meat

The Meatzza!

January 2, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

You will just love this, especially as it tastes so good and instead of a crust, it has a meatball-ingredient base with all the pizza qualities. You could even try it with an Italian sausagemeat base too. It doesn’t get much better than this. Thank you Nigella Lawson.

Serves 4 to 6

1 lb ground lamb
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp breadcrumbs or quick cooking oatmeal, but not the instant one
3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
butter, for greasing
1 x 14oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp garlic flavored oil
1 tsp dried oregano
4 oz fresh mozzarella (not buffalo) halved then sliced
a few fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 F

In a large bowl, using your hands, combine the lamb, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs or oatmeal, parsley and eggs. Grate in (or mince and add) the garlic and add some salt and pepper.
Do not over work it, just lightly mix together or the meat will become compacted and dense.

Butter a shallow, round baking pan of about 11 inches in diameter and turn the meat into it, pressing the mixture lightly with your fingers to cover the bottom as if the seasoned ground meat were your pizza crust.

Make sure you’ve drained as much runny liquid as possible from the can of diced tomatoes, then mix the tomato with the garlic flavored oil, oregano and some salt and pepper and spread, using a rubber spatula, lightly on top of the meat base.
Arrange the mozzarella slices on top then put in the oven for about 25 minutes, by which time the meat should be cooked through and lightly set and the mozzarella melted.

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes, then adorn with some of the fresh basil leaves and bring it to the table before cutting into wedges, like a pizza.