Fish Stew

Fish Stew

Serves four

Gently heat a splash of olive oil in a casserole pan and soften a couple of finely chopped onions and about four cloves of chopped crushed garlic for a few minutes.

Add about 500g of new potatoes chopped into bite-sized pieces. (If I am not serving with crusty bread, I add about 250g more potatoes) then stir in about 1 tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper (maybe about a quarter teaspoon). Grate in the zest of 1-2 lemons then add the juice too.

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a stock cube (fish/chicken/vegetable - I usually use chicken), a squeeze of tomato puree (about a tbsp), a big pinch of parsley (if using fresh add later with the fish) and some water (about half the tomato tin, but you may need more if your pan doesn't have a tight lid or are using more potatoes)

Bring to the boil then simmer gently with the lid on until the potatoes are almost cooked (about 15-20 minutes).

Add 1lb of white fish to the top of the pan then put the lid back on and simmer gently until the fish is cooked . I usually use a bag of frozen fillets because it keeps together nicely in big chunks (takes about twenty minutes) or you can use chunks of fresh (will take about ten minutes but be careful it doesn't end up as fish mince)

Then add about 200g of prawns and simmer (lid off if you need to reduce liquid a bit) until they are heated through, I usually just throw in a bag of frozen which take about five minutes.

Nice with crusty bread and green beans


You might also like

Beef in Beer

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Loaded Skins

Stuffed Peppers

Chilli Prawn Curry

Spicy Prawn Salad

Smoked fish in lemony white sauce

teaspoon = 5ml
tablespoon = 15ml
1lb is about 450-500g


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Cous Cous

Lovely with lamb, steak, chicken or fishfingers (yes really!) or cold as a salad.

Five minutes prep, five minutes 'cooking'

Serves 4 (probably with leftovers for lunch)

Finely chop about 3 spring onions and a couple of peppers (I usually use one red, one yellow).

Add a stock cube to 250 mls of boiling water (whatever kind suits what you are having with it)

Put 200g of cous cous in a warmed pan, stir in stock and put the lid on for a minute with the heat on. Turn heat off, stir in peppers and spring onions and put lid back on for four minutes.

Stir in a bit of olive oil and some lemon juice (about 2-3 tsps of each)

And that's it!

If you do not have any spring onions, finely chop a small onion, but soften it in a little bit of the oil in the pan before adding anything else.

I sometimes use a seasoned/flavoured oil eg chilli oil - very tasty!


You might also like:


Roast Red Pepper Sauce

Stuffed Pepppers

Ribbon Salad

Salsa Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad

Spicy Golden Chicken Rice


Chicken Kebabs


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Black Olive Pate

Finely chop some black olives. (I use a rocker chopper/mezzaluna)

Mix in some cream cheese (twice the weight of olives, and maybe a little bit more)

Add lemon juice and black pepper to taste


Lovely with crusty bread and tomatoes and cucumber



(I usually get a little pot of S/bury's basic black olives for about a quid, think it is about 90g, so add in a 200g tub of cream cheese)




You might also like:


Roast Red Pepper Sauce

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Ribbon Salad

Things to have with Poppadoms


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Bacon and Tomato Pasta

Serves 3-4 and ready in about twenty minutes

Chop one or two slices of bacon per person (I like smoked) into bite size pieces and put in pan. Start off on a gentle heat to release some of the fat so no oil is needed. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally.

Finely chop one or two onions and add to the pan with some crushed garlic (I use about half a bulb) and soften for a few minutes, stirring.

Boil the kettle and (assuming using 10 minute dried stuff) start cooking 2-3oz/50-75g pasta per person (I usually use shells).

You don't have to make it spicy - it is nice just garlicky, but I usually add a tsp of paprika and a half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (quite spicy - use half amounts or just paprika if you want just a little warmth)

Add a tin of tomatoes (if they are whole not chopped, bash them up small with the spoon), a good pinch of dried oregano, and some black pepper. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer, adding a big squirt of tomato puree (about 1-2 tbsps) while the pasta is cooking.

Drain pasta and stir into sauce..


It is tasty without, but really nice with some Parmesan on top when served

It is also nice with some chopped peppers added at the same time as the onions.

Also good with chicken instead of bacon


You might also like:


Loaded Skins

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Stuffed Peppers

Potato and Bacon Soup

Rib Marinade

Barbecue Sauce

Devilled Sauce


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Cake!

Having posted previously that I am not great at cakes (I don't have a particularly sweet tooth and I enjoy the variability of creating stuff to taste, not a set formula) when giving a virtually foolproof citrus loaf cake I have been a bit more experimental in this area lately.

My favourite recipes so far are here:

Mint Aero Bubble Slow Cooker Cake

(This is also a nice recipe for a chocolate loaf just in the oven without the aero bubbles)

Ginger Nuts

Vegan Ginger Cake

(I don't usually have self-raising flour and add half a teaspoon of baking powder per 2oz/50g plain. For the apple puree, a couple of chopped-up eating apples simmered in a couple of tablespoons of water and mushed up with a fork seems to work)

Jamaican Ginger Cake

(This is a lot less messy if you have scales you can zero if you weigh the treacle straight into the pan)

Cinnamon and Apple Loaf

(I peel the apple though)


Golden Syrup Cake

Second recipe is amazingly light and tasty. I melt the butter and syrup in a bowl over a pan of water (not sure if that is right, it is probably clear to people who often bake cakes). Light brown sugar seems to work okay as well if you haven't enough/any dark. Not sure why two different oven temperatures in recipe; I do it at 160 and check after 45 mins)

Left over frozen pastry for quick apple tarts

Roast Red Pepper Sauce

Great as a dip, as an alternative to pesto, with pasta, with chicken, with kebabs, with potato wedges. Best made a few hours or a day in advance.

Roast three whole red peppers on an oven tray for about 40 mins at 200c.

Skin them by putting them in a plastic bag for a couple of minutes so the skin goes loose and can be easily peeled off. (Make sure any juice from them goes in the pan, throw away the seeds and stalks)

Blend the pepper flesh with about 5 fl oz of water (enough so you can blend them - if you need to add more then you can just simmer for longer to reduce)

Add about a teaspoon of olive oil, some black pepper and about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and simmer with the lid half on gently for 10-15 mins, until it is the thickness you want. Taste and add a pinch of salt and sugar as required (the sauce will get a bit sweeter anyway as flavours develop) and maybe a bit more balsamic vinegar.

Then crush and rip into small pieces a handful of basil leaves (about 6-8 big ones) and leave to cool.


(You can also roast some garlic or a red chilli with the peppers)


You might also like:

Salsa Salad

Rib Marinade

Barbecue Sauce

Stuffed Peppers

Devilled Sauce

Potato Wedges

Sticky Onions

Loaded Skins

Tomato Sauce

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Smoked Mackerel

Two quick and tasty things to do with smoked mackerel


Use a fork to pull the fish from the bones and skin

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Mash up with some butter/spread (I usually use about an ounce for three fillets), some black pepper, lemon juice (and some parsley). Lovely on crusty bread or crackers with some salad.

(If you get a pack of mackerel that is already coated with pepper, lemon or parsley then adjust accordingly!)


Smoked Mackerel Rice Salad

Mix flaky chunks into cold rice with plain yoghurt and some black pepper. Add in salady bits for extra taste and crunch - chopped peppers and/or sweetcorn and/or spring onions can be added in advance. Chopped cucumber and/or tomatoes are lovely in it too, but unless you add them just before serving or scoop out all the seeds, it will go watery.

You might also like

Rice with chorizo, prawns/chicken

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Salsa Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad

Chilli Prawn Curry

Things to have with Poppadoms

Smoked fish and prawns in lemony white sauce

Spicy Golden Rice with Chicken


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Spicy Golden Rice and Chicken

Quick and tasty. Serves 4 (probably with leftovers)

This mildly spicy rice can make a small amount of chicken go a long way - one or two breasts or two or three thighs will seem like loads


Chop the chicken into small pieces and gently cook in small amount of oil or butter/spread in a pan for a few minutes until all white on the outside. (As it will continue cooking, you don't need worry about whether it is still pink in the middle.)

Add one or two finely chopped onions, some crushed garlic (up to about half a bulb according to how garlicy you like things) and some chopped peppers (I usually add a red and a green one to contrast the colours a bit) and cook gently until they are softened.

Then add the spices:

3 tsps ground coriander

2.5 tsps ground cumin

1.5 tsp turmeric

1 tsp paprika 

1tsp cayenne pepper 


(you can vary the amount of paprika and cayenne if you prefer it milder or spicier, eg 1.5 paprika and just half cayenne will be milder) 

Stir the spices through on a gentle heat for a couple of minutes and then add 8 oz of rice (I usually use basmati), stir to coat the rice and then add 15 fl oz of boiling water and one or two tablespoons of lemon juice. (You can also add half or a whole chicken stock cube if you like, especially if you are using less chicken).

(If I want to make sure of leftovers for lunch the next day I usually add 10 oz of rice and just under a pint of boiling water)

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down and leave with a lid on for 5 minutes. Stir well and put the lid back on for another 2-3 mins, and check and stir again and repeat. When the rice is soft and the liquid all absorbed it is ready (Usually about 10-15 mins total cooking time for the rice)

It tastes great as is, but serving with some yoghurt (plain or greek) really enhances it.

1tsp = 5ml

1tbsp = 15ml

15 fl oz is about 425 mls

You might also like

Rice with chorizo, prawns/chicken

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Salsa Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad

Chilli Prawn Curry

Things to have with Poppadoms
For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Pork Rib Marinade

This will comfortably do 1.5kgs of ribs.

(It is not a particularly hot marinade despite the quantities of spices)

Mix together

6 tsps of paprika (half plain and half smoked paprika is also nice)
0.5-1tsp of cayenne pepper
0.5-1tsp of black pepper
big pinch of thyme
small pinch of salt
5 fl oz honey (a half cup)
2.5 fl oz red wine vinegar (a quarter cup)
4-5 cloves of garlic (finely crushed)

I usually leave ribs marinading for a couple of hours, then take off any excess marinade and put them in the oven for 30-40 mins. About half-way through cooking I pour off the meat juices, mix with the marinade, and simmer gently in a pan to reduce down a bit. I then thicken it (mix about a teaspoon of cornflour with a little water, add a bit of the sauce to this, mix together then return to the pan and give it a whisk) as a sauce for the ribs, which I serve with potato wedges

You might also like

Mushroom Rice

Barbecue Marinade

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Loaded Skins

Devilled Sauce

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Stuffed Peppers

Put the oven on to about 200 c/GM 6

Cut the peppers in half (lengthways) and remove the stalk and seeds. It's nice to have a good mix of colours and each person will probably eat three or four halves. 

A pound of mince (450-500g) will stuff up to about ten peppers (I usually don't stuff this many, typically five or six and then either put the remaining mince out for people to help themselves to some more or have it with a baked potato or some bread for a lunch later in the week.)

Put the peppers in an oven dish (the best size is so they all fit in one layer next to each other without gaps) and put in the oven while you make the filling. (Peek into the oven from time to time though as you want them to soften but not char!)

Brown about 1lb of mince and then drain off the fat (but leaving the meat juices). Add one or two finely chopped onions and about half a bulb of crushed garlic and cook for three or four mins until soft.

Add about a teaspoon of paprika (half and half smoked is nice) and about half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust if you like it more or less spicy!) and stir through for a minute or two. Then add two or three teaspoons of vinegar (balsamic is nice and rich, but malt will be fine too) and give it a good stir getting the spices off the bottom of the pan. 

Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a big pinch of oregano and some black pepper and bring gently to the boil. (You can add half or a whole beef stock cube if you like.) Add a good squeeze of tomato puree (about a tablespoon) and leave to simmer for a few minutes to thicken a bit while you slice/grate cheese to go on top.

I usually use mozzarella but anything melty (eg mild cheddar) would be fine. How much cheese you use is up to you. I can usually get eight to ten reasonable slices (ie four to five peppers worth) out of a 125g mozzarella ball.

Spoon mince into each pepper-half, pushing it flat then top with cheese.

Put back in the oven until the cheese is as melty and bubbly as you like it (usually about ten minutes)

Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread

(In a hurry? Chop the peppers and cook with the onions, serve the mince with rice, or baked potato and grated cheese)

You might also like

Loaded Skins

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Beef in Beer

Kofta Curry

Chilli Beef Stew

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Something for Nothing

Some easy ways to make a few bob or receive free things!

Paid surveys

There are plenty of sites offering money or entries into prize draws, however in my opinion some are quite frustrating as they ask loads of screening questions before deciding too often that you don't quite match the profile for who they are wanting info from on this occasion.

My favourite is YouGov as they only seem to invite you to take surveys they do actually want you to take, you typically get 50p - £1 per survey and usually get invited to a couple a week so it quickly adds up (you do need to remember to click at the end of each survey to say you want to be credited with the cash and not convert it to a prize draw entry though). Once you get to £50 you can get the cash transferred to your bank . The surveys are usually to do with current affairs/news/politics and usually take 5-15 minutes, and are easy to do when travelling or half watching tv.

You can join YouGov here

Panelbase seems quite reasonable too


Free Things
There are lots of websites which notify you of offers for free samples. Personally I only register for things I am genuinely interested in, like toiletries (I do quite well for little tubes of toothpaste particularly, which are handy for travelling), food things and cosmetics (because I don't think it's fair to either take something I'm not that bothered for the sake of it, particularly if it is costing a small company, a not-for profit organisation or something limited availability where it will deny the opportunity to someone else).

My favourites are Money Saving Expert and Free Stuff

Blogging

If you have something to share that other people might be interested in, you can do worse than have a blog! There are plenty of free to use blogging sites (like Blogger) and on many you can add things like Adsense which will display adverts determined from the reader's own internet use and if they click on any that interest them to find out more it will earn the blogger pennies.

Loyalty Cards

Even if you don't shop at a particular store often or at all, it can still be worth having their loyalty card.

For example with Nectar, you can get points for ebay purchases, supporting Oxfam, using their internet search engine (up to £1's worth a month), then spend them at places like Argos without ever having set foot in Sainsbury's!

I also use Qmee which sits quietly in the background and occasionally when I am searching for things (either through the usual search engine or on sites like ebay or Amazon) will politely offer via a sidebar some pennies if I am interested in looking at their suggested alternatives. You can get the money paid whenever you like (no minimum) to a paypal account.

Free Postcode Lottery

Free daily competition - register your postcode, check the site and if it is drawn you can claim a prize. Free to enter with winnings paid from ad revenue generated - good luck!

Free Daily Draw

Register, check daily, you may win £50 : )

Street Lottery

Register, check daily, good luck

GeoLotto

There is a free version of this treasure hunt game. Register and you get 50 free digs a day. Choose where you dig and the pennies add up. (Update - free game does not always run)



None of these are going to bring you life-changing riches, but it all adds up : )


You might also be interested in Easy Ways to Support Good Causes


For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Favourite Things

Some of my favourite sites (with absolutely no local bias whatsoever!) - will add more as I remember them... (and feel free to share yours)

Wensleydale Creamery
Home of Real Wensleydale Cheese. My favourites are the garlic and chive, and the ginger. Well worth a visit too!

Northumberland Sausage Company
Sausages!

Northumberland Cheese Company
Cheese!

Boulevard Cuisine - North Shields
Smoked Oils and Peppers

British Beef Jerky
Jerky and Biltong from Northumberland

The Garlic Farm

On the Isle of Wight. Was recently given some smoked and elephant garlic : )

Nicholsons the Butcher - Whitley Bay

Traditional and independent

Eat the Seasons
UK seasonal food information and tips

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Carrot and Cucumber Ribbon Salad

light and simple

Chop some red chilli - about a quarter. (I usually stick my hand in a sandwich bag, cut the stalk off, cut in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out and then use a rocker-chopper (mezzaluna) to chop without getting covered)

(If you don't want it hot, see below for an alternative)

Add 2-3 tablespoons of wine vinegar (red or white), about a teaspoon of white sugar and a grind of black pepper. Add more sugar and pepper to taste (or fish some pieces of chilli out if it's getting a bit strong!) after it has stood for about 10-20 minutes.

Peel one or two carrots and then use a potato peeler to cut lengthways into ribbons. Add to the dressing. 

Then cut a cucumber in half and slice it lengthways using the potato peeler (up to you if you cut the half in half and scoop out the wet seeds with a teaspoon)

The carrot can be left to soak in it for a little while, but the cucumber (especially if you leave the seeds in) is best going in just before serving.


(I was asked on Twitter after posting this if there was a more child-friendly version. I suggested red pepper instead of the chilli, either chopped up, or long thin ribbons along a cut edge. I have made this without the chillies or sugar, and adding fresh basil leaves)

Nice with salmon, grilled chicken or burgers

You might also like:

Salsa Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad

Chicken Kebabs

The best Toasted Sandwich

Barbecue Ideas

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Burgers

Not so much recipes as ideas...

I make burgers for flavour not bulk, so leave out breadcrumbs and egg. (I don't care whether this means I make patties or whatever, not burgers!)

I tend to just use mince without adding breadcrumbs. As far as I can tell, while breadcrumbs add bulk, they just absorb the fat and I would rather have smaller meatier burgers!

Since I don't use breadcrumbs, I also don't need to add egg to bind everything together either.

My basic burger mix is just oregano/basil (dried or fresh), and black pepper (and maybe some parsley).

This is tasty in itself, in a bun (either soft white or ciabbata) with mayonnaise, or relish or with tangier sauces on the bun like Reggae, peri peri or sweet chilli...

I mix it up, divide into however many and cook (usually on a george forman grill).

Other variations include (mix and match!)

grated onion
crushed garlic
chopped chillies
coriander leaf

dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco

pinch of cumin
pinch of ground coriander seed

Adding a little pocket of cheese or crunchy mustard in the middle of the burger. (Make two small burgers, push a dent into the centres, add filling then squish together)

You might also like:

Citrus Cake

Barbecue Ideas

Chilli Beef Stew

Beef in Beer

Kofta Curry

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Stuffed Peppers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Chocolate Mousse

This is from a Jackie Magazine recipe from the 80s.

Serves 2 (but quantities increase well)

Melt 4oz of milk chocolate in a bowl (either microwave or over a pan of hot water). Can be cooking or eating chocolate.

Separate two eggs. Beat the yolks and add into the melted chocolate (mix fast and thoroughly).

(Fun way to separate eggs here)

Beat the two egg whites until they are stiff (do the 'upside-down bowl over head test' at your own risk), then fold into the chocolate mixture. (Use a metal spoon to fold: cut and lift it -not stir- to keep it light and fluffy)

Put it into whatever you are serving it in and chill for an hour or two.

Good to serve with some cream on and a bit of grated chocolate, or slices of kiwi fruit

Although it won't set quite as well with, this is also nice with a bit of rum mixed into the chocolate and yolk mix (NB Rum not included in the original recipe aimed at pre and early teens!)


You might also like:

Citrus Cake

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Citrus Cake

If you already make nice cakes, this isn't the recipe for you!

Baking isn't really my thing, you have to be too precise, and it always seems a lot of time and effort for regrettably disappointing results but this simple recipe for a loaf cake produces consistent and presentable results for even reluctant bakers like me - foolproof! 

Whisk an egg, 4 fl oz of milk and 4 tbsps of vegetable oil in a bowl.

Grate in the zest of an orange or a lemon and whisk in 2 oz of brown sugar and 2 oz of white sugar.

Whisk in half a teaspoon of salt, 2 tsps of baking powder and 8 oz of plain flour and beat to make a batter.

Line a small loaf tin with greaseproof paper and pour in the batter. Put it in the oven heated to about 160c/GM4.

While the cake is cooking, add the juice of the orange or lemon to a pan with about 2 oz of white sugar (if you are using lemon juice, add a couple of tablespoons of water too, you need a total of about 100mls of liquid). Bring gently to the boil then simmer for about 5 minutes to make a syrup.

After about 25 minutes stab it with a thin knife or skewer. If there is wet batter stuck to the knife, put it back in and keep checking every 5 mins or so. (Don't worry about leaving holes in it.)

When the knife comes out clean, take the loaf out of the oven. Prog lots of holes down into it, then pour the syrup over to soak down into the holes and leave to cool.

(If you don't have any citrus fruit, this is still okay without any zest in the batter and using orange or lemon juice for the syrup or using just sugar syrup (100mls of water), or putting a few spoons of marmalade or lemon curd over the top)


You might also like:

Chocolate Mousse

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Potato Cake

Like a Potato Rosti or Hash Browns

Great with a traditional British Breakfast 

How many potatoes you do really depends on whether you are doing this as a small side for a full breakfast for a few, or as the main staple for one or two with an egg or a bit of bacon or a sausage instead of bread. One decent sized potato (what I would call a medium size for baking) will do this as a guide.

Grate the potato (I use Maris Pipers) and then squeeze the liquid out.

I just squeeze small amounts at a time and use my hand, but you can also put it in a (clean) tea-towel to squeeze. (But I reckon I'll be washing my hands anyway and I don't want bits of potato in my washer! You can use kitchen roll instead of a tea towel, but you may end up picking bits of paper out of your mix.) I would recommend squeezing it over a bowl, otherwise you can clog the sink up (to say nothing of losing half the potato down it if you try to do too much at once). The starch in the water is quite interesting for kids to play with later too

Put the potato in a bowl and sprinkle on a small pinch of salt and grind on some black pepper and mix it in (If you can see the pepper is well distributed, you can assume the salt is too).

Lightly oil a frying pan and then press the potato into the pan. Push it down firmly and go round the edges pushing them in and down.

Cook gently for about 5-10 mins (depending on how thick the potato layer is) pushing it down all over and in and down at the sides again a few times, until you can see no more raw potato on the top. Have a quick check underneath that that side has gone crispy, if it hasn't turn up the heat for a quick blast and keep pressing it down.

Turn over to crisp off the other side. This will only take a few minutes, as the potato is already cooked through. (If you have thicker layer, you might want to quickly turn it back over to the first side to give that another quick recrisp)

This is a basic potato cake, and while good as is, you can add any herbs, seasonings and fillings you fancy. Parsley and/or thyme is good, so is garlic, chillies and/or onion (onion does make it a bit wetter so takes slightly longer to cook and crisp) or chop in some cooked bacon, ham or gammon (probably won't need any salt)

You might also like:

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Mushroom Rice

Burgers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Barbecue

Here are links to ideas on my blog that are great at barbecues

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks
similar heat to tandoori

Barbecue Marinade/Relish
great as a marinade for ribs or as a sauce or relish

Salsa Salad
With chillies and fresh coriander, this salsa salad is packed with flavour

Chicken Kebabs

quick marinaded chicken, great with pitta bread, peppers and yoghurt

Sticky Onions
caramelised-ish onions

Devilled Sauce

great as a sauce or relish

Spicy Prawn Salad

Burgers

how do you like yours?

Ribbon Salad
Carrot and Cucumber

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Easy ways to support good causes

Supporting Good Causes

A non-food post, but I just wanted to share some easy ways to support good causes financially without costing you a penny!


everyclick

Use everyclick for your ordinary internet searches (it's powered by Yahoo) and each one you make will raise a small amount for your nominated good cause (there are over 200,000 to choose from), whether it is a small local charity to a national organisation. You can track your contribution and it's quite satisfying to see it add up!

(If it's a small organisation, it may be worth checking that they know about everyclick to access the funds raised for them!)

www.everyclick.com


freerice

Freerice supports the United Nations World Food Programme.

Choose your quiz subject (for example vocab, languages, countries, flags, chemistry, famous paintings, landmarks...) and for each question you get right, grains of rice are donated to help end hunger.

You can track your contribution  - you see a bowl fill up for each session, or your all time contribution if you register.

I often play this when half watching tv, and my daughter quite enjoys it too - educational, worthy and a computer game!

www.freerice.com

lendwithcare

Lendwithcare is an initiative from CARE International UK, an aid and development organisation.

You can support an entrepeneur in the developing world with a mico-loan for their business Choose who you support from their profiles from a range of countries and businesses (for example food production, agriculture...)

Although this one isn't quite  no-cost as you need to make a loan of at least £15, I am including it since you can have it repaid if you don't want to keep loaning it back out to others (through recycling I have made loans totalling about six times the value of the amount I have originally contributed)

www.lendwithcare.org

You might also be interested in Something for Nothing

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Chilli Beef Stew

A spicy stew that makes a nice change from chilli with mince

Chilli Beef Stew

Serves four

Gently heat a tiny drop of oil and dot of butter/spread in a heavy casserole pan that will go in the oven (if you don't have one, use an ordinary pan and transfer it into a oven dish later or just do on the hob) and lightly brown 1lb of stewing/casserole/shin beef.

Add some crushed cloves of garlic (I usually use about half a bulb) and a couple of onions (I usually chop finely to disappear into the sauce) and soften for a few minutes.

Add (according to how hot you want it to be) a total of three teaspoons of cayenne pepper/paprika (I usually use one-and-a-half teaspoons of each and that is quite spicy), stir through then add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a large pinch of oregano, some black pepper, about a tablespoon of vinegar, about a tablespoon of tomato puree and then add some water (about three-quarters of the empty tin of tomatoes).

(If you like you can add chopped peppers with the onions, or kidney beans when cooking)

Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for about half an hour, before putting it in the oven for a couple of hours, about 130c/GM3.

If you are making it in advance, you can either put it straight in the oven and then just reheat tomorrow, or switch it off and do in oven tomorrow. (Or you can leave the oven off all together and just leave it on a very low heat with the lid on for a couple of hours, stirring every 15-20 mins.)

This is really nice with baked potatoes, crusty bread, garlic bread, pasta or rice.


You might also like

Beef in Beer

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Loaded Skins

Stuffed Peppers

teaspoon = 5ml
tablespoon = 15ml
1lb is about 450-500g


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