Saturday 30 November 2013

Gravy from home made stock

I usually start some stock off the day before or in the morning if I am doing a roast dinner for a lovely rich gravy (that probably could qualify as a vegetable in its own right!)

This isn't a fixed list of ingredients or quantities, more of an average and great for using up vegetables that are no longer at their optimum. (But think about how the vegetable tastes and what it will add though; I avoid sweet stuff like parsnips or bitter veg like savoy cabbage, even if they will be part of the meal)

Remember everything is going to be boiled up and mashed, so chopping does not need to be delicate!

Chop a couple of onions and two or three carrots. Cut the stalk off broccoli (only if you have it, not essential) and chop. Add a softening tomato or two if you have some. Add four or five black peppercorns, a bayleaf and some parsley (dried or a good way of using up stalks of fresh).

Just cover the veg with water (a tall thin pan is better than a wide one), bring to the boil, put a lid on and leave on a very low heat to simmer for maybe an hour or so (it is surprising how firm carrots can still be after an hour; it makes me wonder how long my Gran cooked hers for to get them so squishy!). If you are making this in advance, turn off the heat after about half an hour and leave it with the lid on as it will continue to stew.

How involved you get next is up to you...

- you can either just pour off the liquid and use this

- but there is a lot of liquid in the veg, so you can also take a potato masher to them and pour some more off

- or it can be quite satisfying pushing the veg through a sieve for a really thick stock

(If you are roasting some meat, then pour off any fat and add the meat juices to your stock.)

Then just thicken the stock to make gravy in your usual way, with whatever seasoning and herbs. (I either use some yorkshire pudding batter, or some flour mixed with water; and add a bit of stock to this, stir smooth then add back to hot stock and whisk and bring to boil. Or cornflour)


I usually turn any leftover meat and gravy into a curry later in the week




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Wednesday 27 November 2013

Kofta Curry

Serves four

Not authentic, but a great curry-in-a-hurry



The Sauce

Finely chop an onion and soften it in a small amount of butter/spread.

Stir in just under an ounce of plain flour (I don't measure it out, either a flattened tablespoon or rounded dessertspoon is about right) and curry powder to taste (I use about three heaped teaspoons of 'mild'), then slowly add while stirring about 3/4 pint of liquid (water is fine, but if you have any apple juice to hand it is richer using up to about half juice), bring gently to the boil and while simmering add a big dessertspoon of chutney (whatever you have or fancy, mango, branston pickle, homemade...). It is nice to peel and grate an apple in to the sauce too. Simmer for about five minutes. I sometimes add half a beef stock-cube, depending on what else I have added.  If it's too thick for your preference, it goes without saying to just add a bit more liquid.

Either add the meatballs while it's simmering, or let the sauce cool to reheat while you quickly make meatballs the next day. I think the flavour improves for leaving it.

I usually serve it with either rice or naan bread

Meatballs

As they are going into a tasty sauce, I make really lazy unseasoned meatballs in the microwave. This takes most of the fat out and you get meatballs which hold their shape in the sauce.

Divide a pound of minced beef into however many meatballs you want to make (I usually chop a slab of mince into quarters, half each quarter, and then split each piece into two to make 16 fair sized meatballs)

Place evenly on a microwaveable dish and microwave for two minutes (this will release a fair amount of fat from the mince, so don't use a shallow plate).

Turn them over (if some of the ones at the centre aren't as cooked, you might also want to swap them with ones at the edges) and cook for probably about another 30-60 seconds.

They should look brown and still be a bit springy. Don't over cook them in the microwave; they are going into a hot sauce and so will continue to cook.

When they are cooked, add to the sauce while you are waiting for the rice or naan bread.

(You can also pour the fat off and add any meat juices to the sauce if you like.)


Things to have with poppadoms

Potato and/or Cauliflower Curry

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Chilli Prawn Curry

Spicy Prawn Salad

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Stuffed Peppers




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Saturday 23 November 2013

Things with Basil

Hello!

Here are some other recipes using fresh basil

however a supermarket pot will last a few weeks on a windowsill with occasional watering : )

Feta, Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Salad

'Home Made' Pizzas




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Meals with Mozzarella

Hello,

Links to some other recipes with mozzarella...

Feta/Mozzarella Tomato and Basil Salad

'Home Made' Pizzas

Loaded Skins

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 : )

Feta, Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Salad

Good at any time of year, either as a main meal with new potatoes, or as an accompaniment to eg chicken and new potatoes, salmon fillet and new potatoes. (New potatoes go really well with this!)

Image preview



Cut mozzarella and/or feta cheese into bite pieces (I like a mix of both, but you can use either), quantity depending if main meal or side

Rip and crush fresh basil leaves and grind on some black pepper.

Chop in some tomatoes (either salad tomatoes quartered or eigthed, or cherry ones halved), drizzle on some olive oil.

(As a main for four people, I would use two mozzarella balls and a pack of feta and about eight - twelve salad tomatoes or a big pack of cherry toms)


You might also like:








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Wednesday 20 November 2013

'Home-made' pizzas

A bit of a 'cheat' tea

Assembles in 5-10 mins while the oven heats and cooks in about 10.

Spread ready made pizza bases with tomato purée.

(I also make using toasted stotties or breadbuns, but under the grill)

Rip a few basil leaves (I have a supermarket pot from a meal a few weeks ago still growing on the windowsill, but a light sprinkle of dried basil or oregano would be okay) and grind some black pepper over.

Add some veg like frozen sweeetcorn, sliced mushrooms or some chopped peppers (or whatever you have and like)

If you want meat, add on a few thin strips of cooked meat eg sandwich ham, salami or left-overs like chicken or chorizo from another meal, or a sliced stick of peperami ...

Add a bit of cheese to the top, mozzarella if I have planned ahead and bought some, or cheddar or whatever is lurking in the fridge if I am just throwing it together.

Put in the oven according to the pizza base instructions (typically 10 mins) or if using buns just grill until the cheese has melted.


Although it takes longer to prep, this is quite a nice thing to make with kids, who love getting involved. (Tea may be later, but it's a good opportunity to hear about their day while working side-by-side)

If you don't want to use or don't have a ready-made base, as an alternative to making your own dough or a scone base, you can also half and lightly toast bread buns, muffins, stotties... before adding the topping.

(The sauce I use for spaghetti and meatballs can also be used on pizzas.)

Other meals with fresh basil

Other meals with mozzarella



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Tuesday 19 November 2013

Curried Parsnip Soup

Makes 4-6 bowls

Chop a couple of onions (they are going to be blended later, so roughly is fine) and soften them for a couple of minutes in a small amount of butter/spread.

Stir in 2-3 tsps of curry powder, and about two flat teaspoons of plain flour (To be honest, I usually don't add flour, I just use a parsnip or two more than listed below and get the thickness that way).

Once it is mixed with the soft onions, add about a pint of milk, slowly to start with to make a paste.

Bring it gently to the boil then add a couple of large parsnips (three or four if they are little and skinny) and add some black pepper (and a half or whole chicken or veg stock cube if you like).Turn it down to a low heat and leave to simmer with a lid on for about twenty minutes (I would give it a stir once or twice) until the parsnips are really soft.

Blend it to smooth (I use a wand blender in the pan - less washing up).


This reheats well in the microwave, so is also a tasty lunch for work

You might also like:

Tomato Soup

Potato and Bacon Soup

Mushroom Soup

Beef in Beer

Chilli Beef Stew

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 : )