Chickpea and veggie curry

I was going to start this post with - the end of the month and the cupboards are bare... but that's a lie - and everybody who knows me knows that we could feed a football team (if they happened to drop by) at 30 minutes notice.  We could probably survive at least a month with the stuff we have in the house, it just wouldn't necessarily go together!   I have been trying to use up some of the oddments which are hanging about.  So, rice in normal way.  Curry - onions, garlic and curry paste (rogan josh) sauteed in oil, added chopped celery, peeled and chopped carrot, mushrooms and aubergine.  Stir round for a bit until veg is all coated, added a tin of chickpeas, some tomato and pepper puree from a jar and about a pint of water.  Simmer for about 40 minutes until all veg are soft.  Stirred in tablespoon of single cream - optional, it just makes it a bit silkier.  Scoff.  Victim liked it - and didn't moan once.

aubergine ragu with penne

No fancy picture as I couldn't hold the victims back.  This was a lovely rich mince and veg sauce with mozzarella, cheddar and parmensan with penne... yums.  Usual start to the ragu, onions, garlic, celery, red pepper, mushrooms chopped and sauteed - then added minced beef, probably about 250 grams for 6 people, add some mixed herbs.  Meanwhile sliced 2 aubergines and 2 courgettes into 1 cm slices - sprinkle with salt - pat dry after 10 minutes - drizzle on olive oil and griddle slices for a couple of minutes each side.  Chop and add to meat mixture, add 2 tins tomatoes and  and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Boil pasta.  About 3 minutes shorter than packet instructions, drain and add to sauce.  Tear in mozzarella, add cheddar and parmesan - save half of each type of cheese for the top.  Stir mixture up, add cheese to top, grate on black pepper - bake for about 30 minutes until cheese has melted and its all rich and steamy.  Victims had seconds.

Breton(ish) chicken with rice

Many years ago I was presented with a plate of coronation chicken and rice.  The chicken mixture was yellow and gloopy, the rice was white.  Tonight's dinner reminded me a lot of that, until I tasted it.  The coronation chicken was very, very mildly curried, a bit sweet and tasted the same in every mouthful - this was better - I could taste the chicken, the beans, the mushrooms - and the sauce - but even so, it didn't set my taste buds on fire.  Personally, I think it's the cream that mutes all the flavours - but some people like it, so hey ho.  Amongst the people who like creamy sauces are current victims.  One of the current victims suffers from dementia, and possibly other degenerative mental illnesses (diagnosis may be difficult, therapies seem non-existent and coping strategies are similar for all of the conditions) .. really likes chicken and sauces, and doesn't always get enough veg - so this was a good opportunity to please, and to load up with vitamins - clean plate indicates success, as far as I can measure.  So, sautee onion and leek with a rasher of bacon (chopped) in olive oil (not much), add bite sized pieces of chicken breast, chopped mushrooms, green beans and courgette, and squished garlic - stock, splash of white wine, teaspoon of mustard, seasoning.  Simmer for a bit.  Chuck in some beans (or peas, or peas and beans and sweetcorn, or not) and simmer again for 4 mins.  Take off the heat and let cool down slightly, then stir in cream. (You can thicken the sauce with slaked cornflour if its too runny).  We had brown rice - you could have summat else - pasta, spuds, bread, salad etc.  Both victims ate it, and we all quite liked it, but none of us would have it for our last supper.

Roast butternut squash, stuffed and stuff

Veg box revenge, or veg box at its best - you decide.  I loved it - victim (predictably) picked and moaned.  I had hoped to win with the salty feta, but apparently there was too much green in the slimy stuff....aka strips of cabbage... my point that the greener the cabbage the sweeter and more nutritious was ignored .. of course.  Recipe, such as it is - deseed butternut squash, drizzle with olive oil - roast for an hour or so.  Sautee onion and mushrooms, add a cup of water... 10 minutes before serving plonk shredded cabbage on top and steam with the lid on - add more water if it looks dry.  Chop feta and stir in at the end.  Served with steam brocolli.

Spaghetti and meatballs in spicy tomato sauce

One more bargain from Waitrose - well actually several more - there could be a few meatball recipes soon, due to bumper bargain meatball swoop.  Chopped onion and celery, sauteed in olive oil with garlic, added chopped courgette and chili.  Stirred in meatballs, a tin of chopped tomatoes some stock and a squirt of tomato puree.  Boil spaghetti.  Serve with grated parmesan and ground black pepper.

Crab cakes and celeriac slaw

OK - this looks like a burnt offering with some salad.  Fair enough - but it is home made burnt offering, with home made salads.  The crab cakes were inspired (?) by yesterday's bargain - and the everything else was in the fridge, including from the last veg box - with a spring onion boost from Poly the tunnel! :)

So, the "recipe".  I peeled, chopped into chunky cubes some potatoes - meanwhile chopped spring onions (from poly the tunnel) and some celery, added minced garlic and chili, and some sweetcorn - and then very carefully picked over crab - when the potatoes were cooked mashed them, and seasoned.  Mixed the veg and mash - added beaten egg - beat until fully mixed.  Fried in hot olive oil  until crust formed - them put in baking tray in hot oven for 20 mins.   Serve with green salad, and celeriac slaw, and some sweet chili dipping sauce.  

Celeriac slaw - grate or mandolin - carrots, red onion, celeriac into lemon juice - stir in tsp mayonnaise, tbsp natural yogurt; squeeze of lemon/lime juice (or splash of vinegar).

Salad greens - you know what your victims will embrace - I tried watercress, chichory and cos lettuce ... most of it was left, but I loved it!  Hey ho (again)

Crab cocktail

Well - bargain night at Waitrose - Cromer crab for £1 .. so, it would have been rude not to!  Mixed crab, chopped celery and tomato in mayonnaise - should have added chopped chili, but didn't have any fresh.  Season.  Chopped cos lettuce and tossed with good olive oil.  Chopped avocado and mixed with lime juice and black pepper.  Stack.  Victim was very pleased, though said presentation could have been improved by drizzle of lemon oil - and agreed about the chili.

Spaghetti and spicy meatballs

Bargain spicy sausages, some veg and tomatoes - pan of spaghetti - and cheap and cheerful dinner.  Quite easy, which is just as well, because we're both stiff and tired after faffing in the garden for much of the afternoon.  So, chopped and sauteed in olive oil - onion, celery, green pepper and some mushrooms.  Took 6 spicy (paprika and stuff) sausages from their skins and shaped into meatballs.   Fried these off with the veg for a few minutes (pushed veg to sides of pan, browned meatballs off a bit) - added 2 x tins chopped tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, red wine and about a mug of stock.  Simmered for 20 minutes(ish).  Meanwhile, boiled spaghetti in salted water for 8 minutes.  Test - drain when al dente - mix pasta and sauce together and scoff.  Delish.  4 pots left for kitchen fairies.

Chicken and cashew nut in black bean sauce with rice

Well, where to begin?  There are loads of things to do with chicken - but I am trying to expand my repertoire without spending anything - and had 2 x chicken breasts left over.  So, quick scout through the fridge and cupboards... and a chinesey vibe... Crushed fermented black beans with chili, garlic, ginger and peanut oil.  Cooked Thai rice using steam method ... ie. bring to boil in water to cover + 1.5 cm ... then out in medium oven to finish itself off.  Chopped spring onion, red onion, orange pepper, celery, sculpted carrot (you can't see on this pic - and victim didn't even notice, but I tried that fancy scalloped carrot slice thing!)  and some mushrooms - cooked in hot (couple of spoons) peanut oil - add crushed paste - add bite sized pieces of chicken breast - sautee.  After a couple of minutes of turning over add mug of water, tomato puree, soy sauce, rice wine and a good squirt of ketchup.  Stir again, and simmer for a a few minutes - add more water to make sure it has enough sauce (it might look a bit watery, but it will be thickened in a mo).  Simmer until chicken is done (pull a bit out and make sure it is cooked all the way through), season, add a handful of frozen peas and simmer for another couple of minutes.  Stir in slaked cornflour to thicken sauce & big handful of cashew nuts.  Stir through until thickened and all is hot.  Serve on rice.  I would have liked more dishes to present more of a feast, and a variety of flavours - but it is only Tuesday tea, after work - do people really find time to make 4+ dishes from scratch?  Victim was pleased it wasn't as horrid as last night (please see last night's post... the cheek!), and finished off seconds - USING CHOPSTICKS!  (have 3 portions for dinners, but am not sure that it will freeze very well... ).

Update:  it froze very well - had it for lunch today - the cashew nuts were chewier, but I quite liked the texture, and they were still sweet.

Chicken, broccoli and blue cheese hotpot

Chicken again, but fancied something we don't have every week - remembered the dolcelatte in the fridge - and leeks, mushrooms and broccoli in the veg box.  Chopped leeks and mushrooms, sauteed off in olive oil with some garlic, added bite sized chicken pieces to fry off a bit, then a tablespoon of flour to thicken sauce.  Stir in until it has mixed with the oil, add broccoli florets, and chicken stock.  Meanwhile parboil potatoes.  When the chicken and veg have cooked down a bit take off the heat, and stir in a good sized piece of dolcelatte.  Transfer to baking dish, slice potatoes and layer on top - drizzle on olive oil.  Bake for 30 minutes in hot oven.  Slice courgette and dredge in herbed, seasonned flour, shallow fry in olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side - drain on kitchen paper.  Boil frozen peas - as victim will complain about courgettes.  Was well tasty.  Victim was forced to have 3 slices of courgette, and made the hotpot into a sandwich - but declared it "so horrid I have to have seconds so that there are no leftovers".... hmmmm