Bacon, cabbage and mash

It's quite chilly now, and we fancied something traditional and warming, but I also wanted to ring the changes a little - so a quick forage around Todmorden market, and this delicious concoction was invented.

From Bracewell's the butchers

Gammon steaks

From The Crumbly Cheese

Raclette, butter

From The Mediterranean Pantry
Olive oil, caraway seeds, bouillon powder

From Garry the veg

Onions, Potatoes, white cabbage

1.  Peel and boil potatoes for the mash.
2.  Chop onion, sautee in olive oil.
3.  When the onion is soft add shredded cabbage, a scant teaspoon of caraway seeds (not too many, it goes medicinal), a teaspoon of bouillon powder and a cup fo water, simmer gently.
4.  Mash the potato, with butter, and pop in the oven to brown.
5.  Top the onion and cabbage mix with raclette, and pop in the oven to melt.
6.  Fry the gammon for a couple of minutes on each side - you can pop it into the bottom of the oven to keep warm until the potato reaches the right colour for your taste.
7.  Serve, scoff

Lovely, and about £4 a head.

Fish pie

This tasted soooooo much better than it looks.

Potatoes
Haddock - 50/50 plain and smoked
Soya Milk
Onion
Bay leaf
cornflour
Butter
peas
carrots

1.  Peel and boil potatoes for the mash.
2.  Poach the fish in chunks in soya milk (or real milk) with a halved onion and a bay leaf.
3.  Fish out the onion and bayleaf, put the fish in an oven dish, thicken the milk into a sauce with slaked cornflour, add that to the fish and top with potatoes mashed with butter.  Bake for about 25 minutes - until top browns a little.
4.  Steam veg
5.  Scoff

Pork chop, with mustard and cider sauce and mash

Not just any pork chop - this was a delicious, monster, juicy pork chop from Nick at Melling's butcher's in Todmorden Indoor Market.  Add to that some veggies from the outdoor market, and some garlic, bouillon and mustard from The Mediterranean Pantry, butter from The Crumbly Cheese - and some cider from the off licence across the road - and a delicious dinner was achieved.

The veggie person also had fantastic halloumi from The Crumbly Cheese.



Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Mustard
Cider
Carrots
Spring greens
Butter
Pork chop

1.  Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water.  When they are ready mash with butter and put in the oven to brown the top a little.
2.  Make the sauce - sweat chopped onion in olive oil, then add crushed garlic, a teaspoon of bouillon powder, a heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and about half a pint of dry cider.  Simmer gently.  Turn it off when the onions are soft, and heat again gently when the pork is ready.
3.  Peel the carrots, chop them, shred the spring greens (or other green brassica) - steam them.
4.  Seal the pork in a hot pan, in a little olive oil.  These were lovely juicy pork chops, so I cooked them for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they took a little colour - and then put then in the oven for 12 minutes to cook through.
5.  Just before serving fry slices of halloumi in a hot pan.
6. Serve, scoff.

Plaice with a shrimp and garlic sauce

Paul the fish on Todmorden market has confirmed our Friday is fish day habits as his fish is so consistently fantastic..  There is no religious significance to this, but it has developed into a thing ... and today I choose plaice and to jazz it up a bit with a buttery, garlicy shrimp sauce.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Plaice
Butter
Garlic
Shrimps
Black pepper
Frozen peas

1.  Roast chopped potatoes in olive oil.
2.  Chat ... there's nothing to do until 10 minutes before you eat.
3.  Fry the plaice gently in a mix of butter and oil (to stop it burning) for a a couple of minutes on each side - keep warm in the oven.
4.  Boil peas.
5.  Briefly fry crushed garlic and peas in butter and oil in the fish pan - pour over the fish.
6.  Serve, scoff

Vegetable cheese with mini roasties

How do you get veg into a veg dodger?  Particularly "but it's not even Christmas" sprouts.  Smother it in cheese sauce, that's how.

Mini "roasties"

Chop potatoes and roast in hot oil for about 50 minutes.

For veg

Kale
Cauliflower
Sprouts
Butter
Flour (gf for us)
Milk (Soya for us)
Wholegrain mustard
Cheddar

Steam the veg.
Make a roux by melting the butter, then stirring in the flour until smooth.  Gradually add milk, keep stirring until sauce thickens and is smooth - using a whisk helps reduce lumps.  Add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and shed loads of grated cheese.
Put the veg in an oven dish, top with even more grated cheese and bake while the potatoes finish.
Serve, scoff, watch veg dodger have thirds.

Prawn paella

Open fridge, scratch head, shut fridge.  Open fridge again ... leek, red pepper, green beans, half a bag of spinach and some mushrooms ... add rice, frozen prawns and a tin of tomatoes and you have "paella", or something resembling it - not too shabby for a mid-week tea.

Veg available from Garry on the outside market, rice and spices from The Mediterranean Pantry - fresh prawns from Paul the Fish (or frozen).

Olive oil
onion
leek
garlic
saffron
Stock
red pepper
short grain rice
chilli flakes
mixed herbs
king prawns
mushrooms
spinach

1.  Sautee chopped leek and onion in olive oil, add crushed garlic when it's soft.
2.  Add chopped red pepper, cook for a minute or so.
3.  Soften a pinch of saffron in a dropof warm water.
4.  Add a good handful of rice to the pan, turn over in the oil so that every grain is coated.
5.  Add saffron water, chilli flakes and herbs and a pint or so of stock, stir in.
6.  Simmer gently, add chopped mushrooms and a tin of chopped tomatoes.  Stir now and again to stop it sticking.
7.  Defrost prawns in hot water, drain.
8.  Test the rice, season - when it's nearly done add in prawns and a big handful of spinach.  Turn it over in the pan.
9.  The prawns will cook in about 2 minutes.
10.  Serve, scoff ... have seconds.

Fajitas

Or should we say woman vs food!

We don't have fajitas very often, so I thought I would try to pull off the full monty - though I stopped short of a slaw as there were actually only 3 of us, and I had gathered enough for about 6!  Also, the cold did not put any of us in the mood for salad.

So - wraps - tortilla wraps from the packet warmed up for non-gf people ... homemade gf chapatti for gf person.  I tried both - the gf version was considerably nicer.

Rice - I happened to have some 7 grain wholegrain microwavable handy, so used that  - but any rice would be fine.

Refried beans:

Sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil, add cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes.  Drain a tin of red kidney beans and add, along with half a cup of water.  Simmer gently.  If I had any fresh herbs I would have added at the end - I didn't so just a spritz of lime juice, salt and pepper and a squish with a masher and they're done.

Red peppers:

Sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil, add a few mixed herbs and sliced red pepper.  Fry - let the peppers char slightly to get a nice smoky flavour, add a little water to allow them to soften without burning.

Fajita chicken:

Marinade chicken pieces in fajita seasoning and olive oil, I used thighs cut into strips, but some would prefer breast.  Fry until slightly crispy on the edges.  The veggie alternative was halloumi in fajita seasoning fried until slightly golden.

Guacamole:

Very finely dice a small onion, cut avocado into small pieces, or crush with a fork, add diced tomato and a spritz of lime.

Sour cream
Grated cheddar

(If you are making homemade chappatis make the dough first - gf flour, natural yogurt and enough water to kneed into a dough)

1.  Start with the refried beans.
2.  Then the peppers.
3.  Marinade the chicken and make the guacamole.
4.  Keep an eye on the stove top mixtures, marinade the halloumi.
5. Grate the cheese
6.  Warm the bread, make the chappatis.
7.  Serve, stack ... try to roll greedy sized thing up, spill it all down your front!  Delicious.

Mackerel with colcannon

Paul the fish had some lovely mackerel, and it is very cold ... we needed mash.  Supercharged it with cabbage to get some veg into the veg dodger.  Delicious.

Potatoes
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Olive oil
Butter
Mackerel
Garlic
Lemon

1.  Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle on salt and roast in the oven.
2.  Boil potatoes, steam shredded cabbage above them.
3.  When the potatoes are done mash them, add butter to taste and stir in the cabbage.
4.  Marinade the fish briefly in olive oil, lemon juice and crushed garlic.  Fry on each side for a couple of minutes.
5.  Serve, scoff

Baked potato with romanesco and mushroom cheese

It looks like a mountain of mush, but it was really tasty.

Meat eaters had a bit of chorizo, veggies didn't ...

All ingredients (except soya milk) available from Todmorden Market.  Cheddar from The Crumbly Cheese, olive oil, mustard, gf flour and chorizo from The Mediterranean Pantry.  Veg from Garry outside.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Mushrooms
Romanesco (or cauliflower)
Wholegrain mustard
Flour (GF for us)
Soya milk
Cheddar ... lots
Chorizo

1.  Prick the potatoes with a fork, rub over with olive oil and bake.
2.  Sautee onion in olive oil, when soft add mushrooms.
3.  Steam the romanesco.
4.  Make the cheese sauce by adding a spoonful of flour to the mushroom mixture, mix until it has disappeared into the veg, then add a a spoonful of mustard and the milk (soya for us), mix until a sauce forms.
5.  Add grated cheese to the sauce, stir in the romanesco and put in the oven until potatoes are ready.
6.  At the last minute fry chorizo for the meat eaters.

Chinese tonight: chicken satay, straw mushrooms and beansprouts in oyster sauce and red pepper and cashew stir fry

A little trip into a chinese supermarket gave me the idea, but you can get most of the flavourings from Oriental Foods and me in Todmorden market.

Rice
Chicken - legs in this instance
Peanut butter
Sweet chilli sauce
Shaoshin rice wine
Rice wine vinegar
Chilli
Peanut oil
Spring onions
Garlic
Ginger
Straw mushrooms
Oyster sauce
Soya sauce
Red pepper
Chinese vegetable (or pak choi)
Cashew nuts
Beansprouts
Cornflour

1.  Cook the rice
2.  In an oven dish mix peanut butter with a dash of peanut oil, sweet chilli sauce, chilli and soya sauce.  Coat the chicken in the marinade and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes.
3.  In 2 woks, fry chopped spring onion, garlic and ginger.
4.  For the cashew nut mixture add red pepper, chilli flakes, soya sauce, rice wine vinegar, rice vinegar and stir fry.  Add the chopped vegetable and stir fry again.  Add a little water to create the steam.  Finish by adding slaked cornflour to thicken the sauce and the cashew nuts.
5.  For the mushroom mixture add a tin of straw mushrooms, a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a tiny splash of water, heat through then add beansprouts.  Finish by thickenning the sauce (if required) with a little slaked cornflour.
6.  Serve, scoff ...

This went down very well, but the chicken legs were fiddly, so next time I'll use diced thigh meat on a skewer.

Cauliflower cheese grill, oven chips and a fried egg

Well, sometimes you just have to ... still the egg was home grown.

Recipe:  follow packet instructions, fry an egg.

Healthy fish and chips

Fish and chips - potato wedges and batter with turmeric in it to make it a bit tastier, and quite a lot healthier.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Onion
Carrots
Haddock
Polenta
Egg
Soya milk
Turmeric
Fennel seeds
Peas

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges and roast in olive oil for about 45 minutes.
2.  Make batter by mixing polenta, a teaspoon of turmeric, a pinch of fennel seeds and egg and enough soya milk to form a batter.
3. Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, add carrot and a little water, simmer.
4. When the potatoes are nearly done dip fish in batter and fry fro a couple of minutes on each side.
5.  Add frozen peas to the veg.
6.  Done, serve, scoff - really very tasty.

Mediterranean Medley

It's not really tapas as the main starting point was Aubergine parmigiana, but it had very much a tapas vibe.

We had:-

Aubergine parmigiana, with provolone
Sauteed potatoes
Smoked anchovy brushetta
Chorizo
Olives and feta
Green lettuce salad

The aubergine parmigiana was the only "recipe" really.

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Oregano
Tomatoes
Aubergine
Provolone
Parmesan

1.  Make a tomato sauce by saauteeing onions and garlic in olive oil - then add chopped tomatoes, simmer until it thickens slightly.
2.  Slice aubergine and griddle on both sides for a few minutes.
3.  Layer the aubergines and sauce in a dish - tomato sauce, aubergine, cheese ... repeat ... top with grated parmesan - cook in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Sautee diced potatoes in olive oil.

Bruschetta

Ciabata
Smoked anchovies
Cherry tomatoes
Red onion

Griddle thinly sliced ciabata, top with sliced tomato, finely chopped onion and an anchovy fillet.

Chorizo - chop it and fry it

Lightly dress the salad with good olive oil and lemon juice.

It's a tale of three curries

Most dinners I make from scratch, but I like to try a few new standbys to have in the cupboard.  Today's venture into the unknown was a tin of mataar paneer, from an Asian supermarket in Bradford.  It was OK, the flavour was fine but the paneer was squishy ... much better if you fry it off in cubes first and then add to a pea curry - but, perfectly acceptable for a curry related emergency.

With it we had basmati rice, channa dhal and a mushroom tikka massala.



Basmati rice
Ghee
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Tikka massala paste
Cumin seeds
Turmeric
coriander
chilli flakes
Tin of tomatoes
Mushrooms
Spinach
Tin of mataar paneer
Yogurt

From start to finish ...

1.  Cook basmati rice.
2.  Chop two onions and fry in ghee in 2 frying pans.
3.  Add crushed garlic and grated ginger to both pans.
4.  Start the channa dhal by adding spices and frying off gently, then tip in drained chickpeas.  Stir around for a minute, then add a tin of chopped tomatoes, half a tin of water and simmer gently.
5.  For the mushroom curry add a tablespoon of tikka masala paste, cook out then add mushrooms.  When the mushrooms release their water add a handful of spinach to wilt.
6.  Put the mataar paneer on to heat through.
7.  When the spinach has wilted turn off the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute.  Stir in natural yogurt.
8.  Serve, scoff - the veg dodger wasn't thrilled at meat free, but mixed the three curries together and declared it really tasty.

Smoked mackerel fishcakes, with roast tomatoes and peas

A store cupboard and fridge satples kind of a day - rooted around, we have too many tomatoes, so need to use them up - also some potatoes and smoked mackerel ... so, fishcakes, delicious.

Onion
Olive oil
potatoes
tomatoes
Smoked mackerel
butter
spinach
frozen peas

1.  Gently fry onion in olive oil.
2.  Boil potatoes for mash.
3.  Chuck tomatoes in the oven drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
4.  Skin and flake smoked mackerel.
5.  When potatoes are cooked, mash with butter, add spinach and let it wilt for a minute.  Add flaked fish and mix well, season.
6.  Shape the fishcakes, fry on each side for a couple of minutes.
7.  Cook peas
8. Serve, scoff .... have seconds, no wait thirds ... and the veg dodger had one as a late night snack, so that was a long way to their 5 a day.

Cheap as chips roast chicken

Sometimes, midweek, you fancy somethings just a bit ... you know ... homely and comforting.  Chicken thighs are cheap, and possibly more flavourful than breast meat, and this is easy as ...
I made the veg just that little bit nicer by simmering in a little stock and garlic.

Olive oil
Potatoes
Chicken thighs
lemon juice
Garlic
Bouillon
Leeks
Carrots
Cabbage

1.  Cut the potatoes into wedges and roast in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Put the chicken thighs in an oven dish, season with salt and pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil and stick in the oven with the potatoes.
3.  In a little olive oil gently fry chopped leek, add crushed garlic.
4.  Add chopped carrot to the leek with about half a cup of stock, and simmer gently.  After about 10 minutes add shredded cabbage.
5.  Serve, scoff

Mediterranean halibut with baby roasties

Paul the fish had some fabulous halibut, so I treated us.  The halibut is marinaded gently in lemon, garlic and basil to give it a bit of a Mediterranean twist, but then very simply fried for a couple of minutes each side.  Simple, and delicious.

1.  Chop potatoes into medium sized dice, roast in olive oil, for about 45 minutes.
2.  Marinade the fish in crushed garlic, olive oil, juice of half a lemon, a pinch of dried basil, salt and pepper - put it into the fridge for 30 mins or so.
3.  About 10 minutes before serving steam the asparagus spears, and boil the peas.
4.  Fry the fish on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side.
5.  Serve, scoff, smile

Autumnal butter bean and root vegetable casserole: with sausages for National Sausage week

The weather has turned suddenly wintery, and it was cold in the Market Hall today - so comfort food was required.  Fabulous cumberland sausages from Bracewell's, halloumi from The Crumbly cheese - some spices and butter beans from the Mediterranean Pantry - and seasonal vegetables from Garry outside - a delicious warming casserole was made.

Olive oil
Leeks
Garlic
Mixed herbs
Chilli flakes
Turnips
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Tinned tomatoes
Butter beans
Sausages
Halloumi

1.  Sweat down cleaned chopped leeks in olive oil, add crushed garlic.
2.  Chop and add vegetables, a pinch of herbs and chilli flakes.
3.  Add tinned tomatoes, and break them down with a fork, add water.  Simmer.
4.  Cook sausages / halloumi ..
5.  When the veg are nearly soft add the butter beans and heat through.
6.  Serve, scoff and curl up on the sofa.

National sausage week, day 2: Italian expression

Nick at Melling's Quality butchers has got some lovely sausages on - every week, not just this week.  The herby italian variety looked particularly nice, so we had some of them.  With it we had lentil and provolone pasta bake and salad.  If we all ate meat I would have made the sausages into meatballs and put the in the bake, but that wouldn't have been fair on the veggie!

Onion
Olive oil
Garlic
Italian seasoning
Aubergine
Red pepper
Lentils
Chopped tomatoes
Pasta
Parmesan
Provolone
parsley
Italian sausages
Salad leaves, dressed with balsamic and olive oil

1.  Gently fry chopped onion in olive oil until it goes transparent, then add crushed garlic and a good pinch of herbs.

2.  Add chopped aubergine and red pepper, and a handful of red lentils.  Fry briefly, then add a tin or two of chopped tomatoes, a pinch of chilli flakes and a cup of water, simmer.

3.  Boil pasta (gluten free for us).

4.  Cook sausages as you prefer - I bung them in the oven, turn after 10 minutes.

5.  Drain pasta, mix pasta and sauce together with a handful of chopped parsley and some grated parmesan.  Top with grated or sliced provolone and put in the oven to brown - about 15-20 minutes.

6.  Serve, scoff - have seconds (well thirds actually... one of us)

National sausage week: bangers and mash

Starting National Sausage week with the classic - bangers and mash, with an onion gravy, peas and steamed cabbage.  Fabulous.

There are many varieties of sausage available from Todmorden market, so I will be ringing the changes through the week.

Potatoes
Sausages - classic pork today
Onion
Olive oil
Tomato puree
Stock
Butter
Cabbage (green and cavolo nero today)
frozen peas
Butter

1.  Peel potatoes and boil.
2.  Bung sausages in a medium oven.
3.  Chop onion, sautee in olive oil until soft, add tomato puree and stock and simmer.
4.  Mash potatoes with butter, put in the oven to brown the top.
5.  Steam shredded cabbage, and cook the peas.
6.  Put the sausages into the gravy.
7. Serve, scoff, have seconds.

I made a veggie version too, all the same - but obviously 2 lots of gravy.

Fabada

Deliciously rich and smoky Spanish casserole, made with ingredients from Todmorden Market - mostly from The Mediterranean Pantry itself, but also veg from Garry outside.  Also, a vegetarian version was required ... so a similar stew with butter beans spiced with smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli.

Rice
Onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Pancetta
Chorizo
Morcilla
Red pepper
mushrooms
Butter beans
Tinned tomatoes

1.  Cook the rice.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil.
3.  Cut pancetta and sausages into bite sized pieces, and add to the onion - fry off.
4.  Add chopped red pepper and mushrooms.
5.  Add tinned tomatoes, and a little water, simmer for a few minutes.
6.  Add butter beans, simmer again until cooked.
7.  Serve, scoff ... deep and delicious.

For the veggie version - add chopped veggie burgers at stage 3, also add smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli as these flavours are introduced by the lovely sausages in the non-veggie version.

I made enough for 6 - but it was all finished by 3 of us ....

Cashew nut fried rice

Shop local, eat global!  The kitchen fairies fancied a change tonight, but also wanted to get all the ingredients from Todmorden Market.  Fresh and seasonal veg from Garry outside, garlic, rice, oil and nuts from The Mediterranean Pantry, eggs from Bracewell's - and oriental flavours from Oriental Foods.  Ta dah ... cashew fried rice.

Coconut oil

Garlic

Ginger

Chilli flakes

Cooked rice

Onion

Carrot

Red pepper

Courgette

Peas

Chinese rice wine

Rice vinegar

Soya sauce

Eggs

Cashew nuts

1.  Cook rice, briefly cook peas if using fresh - frozen is easier.

2.  In a wok or large frying pan stir-fry prepared vegetables, garlic, ginger and chilli in coconut oil.  Prepared the veg by peeling and cutting into similar sized pieces which will cook quickly.

3.  Add rive, and stir.  Add sploshes of rice wine, rice vinegar and soya sauce

4.  Whisk 2 eggs together, pour onto the rice and allow to stand for a minute or so, until it starts to firm up.

5.  Chuck cashew nuts and quickly stir in.

6.  Serve, with extra soya sauce to tase, sprinkle with cashew nuts and finely sliced spring onions if you have them.

Fish pie

A change from Friday fish and chips, but not too radical.  Fish pie served with steamed greens - lovely comfort food.

Potatoes
Onion
Bay leaf
Soya milk
Cod
Haddock
Smoked haddock
Butter
Cornflour
Frozen peas
Parsley
Broccoli
Cavolo nero

1.  Peel potatoes and boil for the mash.
2.  Poach fish in soya milk flavoured with an onion and a bay leaf.
3.  Mash potato, add butter to taste.
4.  Put fish in an oven dish, thicken the soya milk using cornflour slaked in cold water, kepp on a low heat stirring until thickenned.
5.  Add chopped parsley to the sauce.
6.  Put a handful of frozen peas on top of the fish, pour on sauce and top with mash - add little knobs of butter to the top to help it brown.  Bake for 30 minutes.
7.  Steam veg.
8.  Serve and scoff.

Kale, spinach and feta tumble top pie, with cumin carrots and herby courgettes

Couldn't think what to do for tea today - but knew we had a load of leafy greens in the fridge so I invented this kind of cottage pie with a Greek-ish twist.  I also added some greek meatballs for the carnivore.

Onion
Olive oil
Kale
Spinach
Potatoes
Feta
Nutmeg
Carrots
Cumin
Courgettes
mixed herbs
GF flour
Meatballs

1.  Chop onion and soften in olive oil.  Add shredded kale.
2.  Dice potatoes and par boil.
3.  When the kale is a little soft add handfuls of spinach to wilt.
4.  Peel carrots, toss in olive oil and cumin seeds and roast for 30 minutes or so.
5.  Add chopped feta to the wilted greens, grate on a little nutmeg, mix through and put into an oven dish.
6.  Drain the potatoes and tumble onto the spinach mixture.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 30 minutes, until the top goes golden.
7.  Bung meatballs in the oven.
8.  Slice courgettes and toss in seasonned, herby flour.  Grill on both sides for a couple of minutes.
9.  Serve, scoff.

A touch of sunshine on an autumnal evening.

Curried fish and chips

National Curry week:  day 5 - and Friday.  We love our fish and chip treat on a Friday - and Paul the fish has such good fish, that I decided to stick with tradition, but to do a spicy batter.  It tasted a lot better than it looks, but you can see how beautiful the haddock was in this pic.

Potatoes
olive oil
Haddock
Gluten free flour
Lahore fish spice mix
frozen peas


1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil, and bake for 45 minutes.
2.  Make batter by mixing flour, spice mix and water - the batter should be about the consistency of double cream.
3.  Dip the fish into GF flour, then the batter and fry (make sure the oil is hot enough - that was my mistake - it wasn't quite, so it stuck to the pan a bit).
3.  Boil peas.
4.  Scoff.

Lamb shish kebab, egg curry, dahl and pilau rice,

National Curry week: Day 4

Nick at Melling's Butchers in Todmorden's indoor market has all sorts of goodies to save you a bit of time, and help spice up your tea - including these great lamb shish kebabs.  You can also pick up most of the other ingredients from The Mediterranean Pantry, and other stalls indoors and veg outside.

There may be a fair old list of ingredients, but it's actually very easy.

Olive oil
Ghee
Onions
Garlic
Ginger
Tin tomatoes
Eggs

Basmati rice
Cardamon pods
Turmeric
Curry leaves
Fennel seeds
Chilli flakes
Mustard seeds
Chilli

1.  Drizzle the shish kebabs with olive oil and stick them in a medium-hot oven.  They'll be ready in about 30 minutes.
2,  Chop onion and fry in 2 lots of ghee - 1 for the rice, one for the egg curry.
3.  Boil lentils with a crushed clove of garlic.
4.  Add the rice to the onions, add cardamon pods, stir and then add water.  Boil, slam on lid and turn the heat down - let it cook while everything else finishes.
5.  To the other onions add crushed garlic and grated ginger - fennel and cumin seeds, a little chilli and some turmeric.  Stir around - then add a tin of chopped tomatoes and a splash of water.  Cook down gently.
6.  Boil the eggs for 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on the sauce, turn off the heat/add water if it gets too thick - if you like it really spicy you may wish to add garam masala.
7.  When the eggs are cooked, peel them - put the sauce on top.
8.  Make the tarka for the dhal - in olive oil quickly fry whole spices (coriander, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds,  slit chilli and curry leaves).  Pour over the cooked lentils.
9.  Serve, scoff.

Chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, potato curry and pilau rice

National curry week:  Day 3:  Chicken tikka time!  However, in order to meet everybody's requirements I also need a veggie option, so extended the tikka treatment to some paneer.  I also was quite short on time, so was quite pleased with myself to produce all this in 40 minutes.

Chicken thighs
Olive oil
Onion - lots
Ghee
Cinnamon stick
curry leaves
cardamon pods
turmeric
Basmati rice
Garlic
Ginger
Tinned chopped tomatoes
fennel seeds
cumin seeds
chilli
mustard seeds
potatoes
tikka masala sauce
natural yogurt
peas
spinach
paneer

1.  Put the chicken thighs in an oven dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, season and roast for 30 minutes.
2.  Get 3 pans on the hob - a cast iron one with a lid for the rice, and two deep frying pans for the curries.  Put a blob of ghee in each one, over a low heat.
3.  Chop onions - and fry some in each of the pans.  Crush garlic and add it to the 2 curries, add grated ginger to the masala one.
4.  For the rice now add a cinnamon stick, a few cardamon pods, a teaspoon of turmeric and some curry leaves.  Stir into the onions, add basmati rice, stir to coat all grains, add cold water to about an inch over the rice.
5.  Add a tin of chopped tomatoes to the masala pan, stir in.
6.  Add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and a pinch of chilli to the potato curry pan.  Chop potatoes and stir them in.  Add a couple of cups of water and simmer until potatoes are nearly done.
7.  Check the rice - as soon as it comes to the boil slam the lid on and turn the heat right down.
8.  Add tikka masala mix to the tomatoes and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off.
9.  Fry pieces of paneer briefly, in another pan, just so that it goes golden brown.
10.  Put the paneer in an oven dish.
11.  Stir yogurt into the slightly cooled tikka mix, pour some over the chicken and some over the paneer - put these back in the oven while the other bits finish.
12.  Add a cup of frozen peas to the potatoes, and a huge handful of spinach.  After a few minutes stir in the wilted spinach and peas.
13.  Serve, scoff.

Mushroom and vegetable curry with basmati rice

An easy quick veggie curry for day 2 of national curry week.  It was tasty and fresh.  We had seconds.

Basmati rice

Ghee
Urad dahl
Ground spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne)
Onion
Garlic
Courgette
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Garam Masala
Natural yogurt

1.  Cook the rice - I put it in a heavy pot, cover with water - bring to the boil, slap the lid an and leave in a warm oven to absorb - but you could easily microwave it.
2.  Fry chopped onion, urid dhal and spices in ghee, add crushed garlic.
3.  When onion is soft, add the other vegetables, and a little water, simmer until the vegetables are a bit soft - the urid dhal should help thicken the sauce.  Taste and add garam masala.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Turn off the heat.
4. Allow to cool for a minute or so, then stir in a couple of spoons of natural yogurt.
5.  Serve, scoff.

Chickpea and red pepper curry, with gluten free chapatis

It's National curry week!  A gentle start today as what I really wanted to do was to try to make gluten free chapatis.  Normal gluten free flour is fine for cakes and pastry, but it doesn't have the elasticity you need for bread type products - so I used some specialist pizza and pasta gluten free flour - which I stock at The Mediterranean Pantry - and they worked a treat.  Really, really good - soft, a bit stretchy and a nice bite.  I wouldn't have known it was GF, if I hadn't known (if you see what I mean).




Curry

Olive oil
Mustard seeds
Fennel seeds
Cumin seeds
Urid dhal
Chilli flakes
Ground coriander
Ground turmeric
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes
Red pepper
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Chickpeas

Chapati

Gluten free flour
Natural yogurt
Cold water

1.  Make the chapati dough - mix flour with a spoonful of yogurt and enough cold water to form a dough.
2.  Kneed the dough until it is smooth and stretchy.  Wrap in cling film and chill while you make the curry.
3.  Start the curry by frying spices, chopped onion and crushed garlic, in olive oil.
4.  Add vegetables - all cut to approximately the same size as a chick pea,  Add a little water if necessary and simmer for a few minutes.
5.  When the veg are nearly ready add a drained tin of chickpeas, warm through.  Check for seasoning.  If too mild add a smidge of garam masala, if too hot add a little sugar.
6.  Take the dough for the fridge and divide into walnut sized balls, roll out on a dusting of flour.  Fry each one in a frying pan which has the lightest possible brush of oil.  (theoretically you can dry fry them, but I always burn them).  Keep warm under a clean teatowel.
7.  Serve, with natural yogurt (and any chutneys etc you fancy), scoff.

Smoked haddock fishcakes

This tasted MUCH better than it looks - lovely fresh naturally smoked haddock from Paul the fish, and loads of vegetables - jobs a good 'un.  Leek and spinach in the fishcake and even the veg dodger gets 4 of the 5 a day in 1 meal!  Result!

Olive oil
Leeks
Soya milk
Bay leaves
Potatoes
Spinach
Bread crumbs (polenta to be GF)
Green beans
Peas

1.  Put potatoes on for mash.
2.  Chop leeks and put into a deep frying pan with soya milk. Add a couple of bay leaves and the smoked haddock.  Poach the fish for a few minutes - about 5-7ish depending on the thickness of the pieces.
3.  Turn the heat off under the fish and add handfuls of baby spinach.
4.  Mash the potatoes - don't add any fat as the soya milk will add enough liquid.
5.  Remove the bay leaves from the fish, and then mix into the potato - try to mix gently enough to keep some identifiable fish pieces, but well enough to distribute ingredients through the mixture.  Season.  If the mixture is too sloppy add some breadcrumbs/polenta to soak up the liquid.
6.  Shape into cakes, coat in breadcrumbs and fry for a couple of minutes on each side.
7.  Steam beans, cook peas.
8.  Serve, scoff ...

These were big fishcakes - but we're very greedy so we polished off 10 between 3 of us.

Shepherd's pie, and sheperdless pie, made easy

I have mentioned it before - but was reminded again tonight of the number of different requirements at Kitchenfairies HQ at the moment.  Tonight we have i) veg dodger, who doesn't like cooked tomatoes, ii) lactose intolerant and iii) gluten free vegetarian.  In order to satisfy all 3 of us, without making 3 separate meals I took the option of making one veg pie filling, adding fried mince to half of it - and topping with mash made with soya spread.  Everybody was happy.  We even got the veg dodger to eat some broccoli (nobody tell them about the veg in the pie).


Olive oil
Leeks
Mushrooms
Garlic
Celery
Bouillon
Chilli flakes
Mixed herbs
Bay leaves
Baked beans
Soya milk
Dijon mustard
Minced beef

Potatoes
Soya spread

1.  Sautee chopped leeks and celery in olive oil.  Add crushed garlic.
2.  Boil potatoes for the mash.
3.  Add chopped mushrooms to the leek mixture, stock made from bouillon, a small sprinkle of chilli flakes, a couple of bay leaves and a good pinch of mixed herbs.  Season.
4.  When the veg are cooked add a tin of beans, a spoonful of dijon mustard and a small cup of soya milk, just to give it a bit of sauce.
5.  Fry off the mince.
6.  Mash the potatoes, adding soya spread/butter.
7.  Divide the veg mixture between 2 oven dishes, add mice to one.  Top both with mash and bake for 20-30 minutes.
8.  Serve, with steamed veg ... scoff.

Hake, on a bed of lentils

Paul the fish had beautiful hake today, so I adapted this from something I saw on the web - it might have been a Hairy Bikers thing.

All ingredients available from inside and outside Todmorden market.

The Mediterranean Pantry

Olive oil
Garlic
Lentils
Gluten free flour
Bouillon
Bay leaves
Mustard

Garry the veg

Onions
Carrots
Lemon
Spinach
Potatoes

Lots of places:  eggs

1.  Roast potatoes, in olive oil, in a hot oven for about an hour.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and carrot, with a little crushed garlic, in olive oil.
3.  When the onion is soft, add lentils - beluga in this case - but any small brown would be good.  Add stock made of bouillon, and bay leaves, cook until lentils are done.  Add more stock/water if required.
4.  Make lemon mayonnaise - whisk an egg yolk with 1/2 tsp dijon mustard and the juice of a lemon.  Slowly whisk in about a cup of light olive oil - it will thicken to a glossy mayonnaise.
5.  Dust the fish in flour, then dip into whisked egg.  Fry, in hot oil, for a few minutes...
6.  Serve, scoff ...

Greek feast

 Unseasonably warm weather, and storms the other night - it felt a bit like Greece, so I thought I would pull together a Greek feast.  Actually, it was a symphony of opening packets and throwing together some salad and tzadziki, but it all tasted quite authentic - right down to the oven chips.

Greek meatballs
Greek gyros
Pita
Oven chips
Feta, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano
Houmous, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil

Prawns, marinated in olive oil, garlic, chili and lemon juice - griddled
Tomato and onion salad
Green salad - lettuce, cucumber and radish
Tzadziki - greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, salt
Greek beans

Tah dah - you could be on a Greek island

Budget roast chicken dinner

Sometimes you want something really simple, but really tasty - and this was really cheap too - I think is was under £1 a head, and done in 30 minutes.

Chicken thighs
Garlic
Lemon
Olive oil
Potatoes
Cabbage
Green beans
Onions
Butter

1.  In a roasting dish - put in chicken thighs, season them, add crushed garlic and a sliced lemon.  Splosh on a little olive oil and massage it into the meat for a minute.  Roast - high heat for 30 minutes.
2.  Boil new potatoes, steam the beans and cabbage on top of them.
3.  Fry chopped onions in olive oil until soft, and a little brown.
4.  Serve - with butter for the potatoes, and the pan juices from the chicken as a simple "gravy".

Just another Todmorden tapas

This time it was a sort of american-spanish take ...

Spicy mini potato roasties
Chorizo
Cauliflower with pine nuts and raisins
Pepper filled with stockfish
Coleslaw
Corn on the cob
Grilled chilli and garlic prawns

Not bad for a Wednesday night!

Start with the potatoes, and work steadily for about an hour, and it will all get done.

Ingredients.....

From The Mediterranean Pantry:  Olive oil, cajun spices, chorizo, pine nuts, raisins, garlic, chilli flakes, stuffed peppers
From Garry:  Potatoes, onions, cauliflower, sweetcorn, lemon, carrots, cabbage
From Paul:  Prawns

also ... sherry

1.  Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces, put into a roasting tray with a dusting of cajun seasoning.  Roast in a medium-hot oven (about 180).
2.  Finely slice 2 onions - one for the cauliflower, and one for the coleslaw - actually it's about 1 and a quarter for the cauliflower, and 3/4 for the coleslaw.
3.  Gently sautee the onion for the cauliflower in olive oil, then add cauliflower florets, and a drop of water, put the lid on and "steam" the cauliflower until done.
4.  Finish making the coleslaw by adding julienned carrots and shredded cabbage.  Season, add the juice of half a lemon and a splash of olive oil.
5.  Prep the sweetcorn, and put into a pan of water, ready to boil at 20 minutes to serving.
6.  Take the peppers with fish out of tin, into an oven dish and put into the oven with the potatoes to heat through.
7.  Marinate the prawns in chilli falkes, crushed garlic, lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.
8.  Chop chorizo into bite sized pieces.
9.  Check on the potatoes, I think you should be about 5 minutes from all done.
10.  Splash some sherry into the cauliflower and add a small handful of pinenuts and raisins, cook the alcohol off.
11. Fry the chorizo and the prawns in 2 separate pans - turn the prawns after a couple of minutes, keep the chorizo moving until it's done.
12.  Serve, scoff - some people will mix in mayonnaise to make their coleslaw creamy.

Massaman chickpea and squash curry

One of those open the fridge door - stare aimlessly at piles of veg for a bit, then a rummage in the cupboard and Tah-dah Massaman curry is created within 25 minutes.  Again, all ingredients can be sourced from Todmorden's fabulous market.

Coconut oil, coconut cream, garlic, chickpeas and rice from The Mediterranean Pantry

Massaman curry paste and coconut cream from Oriental Foods

Veg from the traders outside ...

Onion

Coconut Oil

Garlic

Butternut squash

Pattipan squash

Red pepper

Green beans

Massaman curry paste

Coconut cream

Rice

1.  Cook rice  - in this case basmati, but I would have used jasmine if I had any.

2.  Sautee onion in coconut oil, add crushed garlic.

3.  Add chopped vegetables, and a couple of teaspoons of curry paste and some water and simmer until veg is almost done.

4.  Drain a tin of chickpeas and bung them in.

5.  Add creamed coconut, and simmer until chickpeas are heated through and veg is cooked.

6.  Serve, scoff ... 

One day I will learn to take better pics!

Fish and chips with a calabrian twist

Spice up fish and chips with a little calabrian crust - don't mind if I do.

Fish from Paul, potatoes from Garry, fish crust from The Mediterranean Pantry.  (Peas from the freezer) ... easy peasy Friday night dinner.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Haddock
Calabrian Fish crust mix
Frozen peas

1.  Cut potatoes into wedges and roast for about an hour in olive oil.
2.  Sit about, chat, drink wine ... whatever ...
3.  40 minutes later, check on the potatoes, put the water on to boil for the peas, and coat the fish with the crust mix.
4.  Fry the fish for a few minutes each side.
5.  Serve, scoff.

Chili garlic prawns with okra gumbo

Caribbean food week:  Day 7

Gumbo is more linked to the Deep South, I believe, but with the chili garlic prawns, I think this should qualify.  Whatever, it was delicious.

Gumbo traditionally is really quite gloopy, with the okra cut to allow the gooey insides to escape.  I don't like the texture of that, so I choose smallish okra and keep them whole.  The flavour is delicious, but the texture much improved (IMHO).

So, start with the potatoes, marinate the prawns, then make the gumbo and finally fry the prawns.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Garlic
Chili flakes
Prawns/Lingoustine
Onions
Thyme
Mushrooms
Red pepper
Okra
Tinned chopped tomatoes

1.  Parboil the potatoes, then roast in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Marinate the prawns in lemon juice, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil.
3.  Chop onions and crush garlic, saute a little.
4.  Add chopped mushrooms, red pepper, thyme, okra and a tin of chopped tomatoes to the onion, simmer - add water/stock if it's looking dry.  After 15 minutes or so ....
5.  Fry the prawns on each side for a few minutes.
6.  Serve - with a plate for the shells and oodles of kitchen towel.

Jamaican jerk burgers, in pitta with sweetcorn

Caribbean food week: day 6

And it's also national burger day (actually it was National Burger Day on Thursday, but we caught up on Saturday, due to some mis-information).

The main Caribbean bit about this was the spicy burger (or spicy onions on veggie burger for the veggie) - but could have spiced up the sweetcorn and/or added some salsa.

Potatoes
Olive oil

Onions
Garlic
Jerk seasoning
Minced beef

Pitta
Gherkin
Tomatoes

Sweetcorn

1.  Parboil potatoes, then drain and roast in olive oil.
2.  Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil, add jerk seasoning and cook through.
3.  Reserve some of the spicy onions to serve with the veggie burgers, mix the rest through the mince, and form into burgers.  Chill for about 20 minutes.
4.  Boil sweetcorn - you may wish to serve this with spicy butter.
5.  Fry or grill burgers and veggie burgers.
6.  Toast pitta...
7.  Serve with simple salad of mixed tomatoes.
8.  Scoff

Sea bass escovitch, with sweet potatoes

 Caribbean food week:  Day 5

Also Friday - so the tradition in our house is fish from Paul the fish.

The idea is that you pour hot, sweet, spicy sauce over simply cooked fish ... it certainly was hot - look at all that steam.

It was the first time I have cooked anything quite like this, but the overwhelming opinion was definitely - put it on the do again list.

Sweet potato
Olive oil

White balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Lime
Onion
Carrot
Red pepper
Red chili

Sea bass

Green beans

1.  Peel and chop sweet potato into chunks, roast, in olive oil for about 40 minutes.
2.  Thinly slice onion, julienne carrot and red pepper.  Very thinly slice chili.
3.  In a saucepan mix together half a cup of olive oil, and the same of vinegar.  Squirt in the juice of half a lime.  Chuck in vegetables and all ow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the veg are softish.  A bit of crunch from the carrots and peppers is fine, but you want the onion soft.
4.  Steam the green beans.
5.  Brush olive oil onto the sea bass fillets and fry for a few minutes on each side.
6.  Place fish on a serving plate, and cover with the sauce.
7.  Serve, scoff ....

Baked BBQ ribs - potato wedges and coleslaw

Caribbean food week:  day 4

BBQ ribs which are actually baked in the oven - absolutely gorgeous.  Not really ideal for a mid-week dinner as they take 2 1/2 hours.

It was so worth it though, and the veg dodger had seconds of coleslaw.

Spices are available from The Mediterranean Pantry, and the ribs from Mellings butchers - superb.



Rack of ribs - pork for us
1/2 tsp each of:-

all spice
ginger
nutmeg
paprika
salt
black pepper
dried thyme

desert spoon of brown sugar

BBQ sauce

potatoes

carrots
cabbage
onion
salt
olive oil
mayonnaise

1.  Heat the oven to 180.
2.  Mix all the dry ingerdients and rub well into the rack of ribs - massage it is as much as you can.
3.  Wrap in foil.  Make sure that it is well sealed to keep in all the juiciness.
4.  Bake for 2 hours - literally - just chuck it in there and do something else, ignore it for 2 full hours - make sure you get the wedges in after about an hour, though, so that it's ready at the same time.
5.  Potatoes, olive oil, oven .... for the wedges.
6.  Make the coleslaw by finely shredding cabbage, carrot and onion.  Add salt and leave to stand for 10 minutes, then add a glug of olive oil and a blob of mayonnaise - stir, chill until everything else is ready.
7.  After 2 hours, unwrap the pork ... keep it on the foil, as it gets stickier and stickier from now, and foil goes in the bin - sticky trays take ages to clean.  Pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes to dry off the top a little.
8.  Smother the top of the ribs in BBQ sauce, and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes ... to get that gooey glossy coating.  Do this twice for a deepish layer of sticky deliciousness.
9.  Serve, scoff ... remember to have lots of kitchen roll to hand!

Cod fish and ackee, with cornbread waffles

Caribbean Food week:  day 3 - which also happened to be National Waffle Day!

I couldn't find salt fish anywhere, and Paul's fish is so great I thought I would amend the classic saltfish and ackee very slightly and use fresh cod.  I poached it first, so that it would flake gently into the dish, as would be expected of real saltfish.

Also, instead of the classic callaloo, I wilted spinach with some onions.  Callaloo, is available at the Mediterranean Pantry at the moment.

I have a lovely american waffle iron gadget, so waffles are easy and delicious - I don't use it often enough.  If you don't have one, you could do light pancakes instead.

Most of the dish was sourced from Todmorden Market - The Mediterranean Pantry for spices, flour, ackee, The Crumbly Cheese for yogurt, Bracewell's butchers for the eggs, Paul for the fish and Garry for the veg.  Soya milk and baking powder from my cupboard.

GF flour
Cornmeal (or polenta)
Baking powder (1 tsp)
Thyme
Egg
Soya milk
Natural yogurt

Onion
Red pepper
Cod fillets, skinned
Chili
Thyme
Ackee

Onion
Spinach
Nutmeg


1.  Make the waffle batter.  Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.  Then whisk the two together.
2. Poach the fish in water.
3.  Fry onion and red pepper for about 10 minutes with thyme and chili, then add the fish, then the ackee to heat through.  Don't move it about too much as it could easily turn into mush.
4.  Make waffles.
5. Fry another chopped onion in coconut oil, add spinach and a grating of nutmeg and a splash of water to wilt the spinach.

Jamaican patties, with yam and green beans

Caribbean food week, day 2.

Jamaican patties with yam and green beans.

I made GF pastry for these, which was extra crumbly, so they didn't seal very well, but they were delicious - I also made two versions, a beef one and a vegetarian one from aduki beans.

Yam is interesting, it was sticky when peeled, which I wasn't expecting, and I think I over-cooked it as it was quite dry.



Patties

GF flour
Turmeric
Butter
Water

Coconut oil
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Red pepper
Caribbean curry powder
Thyme
Chili
Minced beef
Breadcrumbs
Aduki beans

Yam
Cajun seasoning
Green beans

1.  Make the pastry by rubbing in the butter with the seasoned flour and turmeric mixture, add a little water to for the dough, chill for at least 30 minutes.
2.  Boil aduki beans for about 40 minutes.
3.  Make the filling - in coconut oil sweat down grated onion, garlic, carrot and red pepper.  Add the curry powder, thyme and chili.
4.  In another pan fry the minced beef.
5.  Drain the beans, split veg mixture in two - mix one into the beef, and one into the beans.  Add breadcrumbs and cook for a further 10 minutes.  (I only put breadcrumbs in the beef mixture - the beans remained gluten free).
6.  Peel yam, chop into pieces, sprtiz with lemon juice, shake on a little caribbean seasoning and roast - probably for about 45 minutes.
7.  Roll pastry into circles, fill and seal using the prongs of a fork.  Bake for 30 minutes-ish.
8.  Steam beans.
9.  Scoff

Both versions were declared delicious.

Fried chicken, rice and peas and plantain

Caribbean food week - day 1

Fried chicken with rice and peas, and some plantain.  Fried chicken was excellent, rice and peas were excellent - plantain - well it's good for you!

Onion
Garlic
Coconut oil
Ginko peas
Thyme
Coconut milk
Rice (basmati)

chicken thighs
Eggs
Chicken coating mix

Plaintain

Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radish

1.  Gently sautee chopped onion and quite a lot of crushed garlic.
2.  Tip in the tin of peas - do not rinse them!
3.  Add a good pinch of thyme, seasoning and a tin of coconut milk.
4.  Bring to the boil, stir, add rice and water to 1 inch above the surface.  Stir once.
5.  Bring to the boil again, slam on lid, turn heat right down.  The rice will be done when all the liquid has been absorbed.
6.  Whisk eggs lightly, cover each chicken piece.  Coat with seasoning mix.
7.  Fry for a few minutes each side, in batches, keeping warm in between.
8.  Fry plantain for a few minutes each side.
9.  Serve with a simple salad.

A gentle start to Caribbean food week, you could, of course serve with hot sauce for more of a kick.

Kangeroo steaks with cauliflower cheese

Skippy for tea?  Don't mind if I do.  Actually, I wouldn't go mad for it - it is OK, but good steak is better.  Cook as you would lean steak, not forgetting to rest it.

Potatoes
Olive oil

Cauliflower
Soya milk
Cheese (I used 3 - cheddar, a goat's hard cheese and a french softer cheese)
Cornflour
Mustard
Spinach

Kangeroo steaks
Red wine

1.  Cut potatoes into chunks, roast in olive oil in a hot oven for about an hour.
2.  Steam cauliflower.
3.  Make sauce by boiling soya milk, seasoning, and mustard, then melt in the cheese.  Slate cornflour in water, and add to thicken the sauce.
4.  Chuck baby spinach into cauliflower in an oven dish, cover with sauce and bake for about 30 minutes.
5.  Put olive oil on kangeroo steaks, and fry on each side for about 4 minutes - remove to rest.
6.  Deglaze grill pan with red wine, to form a jus.
7.  Serve, scoff ... yum

It's Bacon Lovers Day

And we love bacon.  Not every day, before anyone reports us to the health police - but it's really good.  These gammon steaks were from Bracewell's in Todmorden Indoor Market and they were FABULOUS.

Equally fabulous was the cabbage from Jean from The Crumbly Cheese - OK, you can't buy them from her - this was a delicious gift from her garden ... Jean - your cabbage was amazing!

Also, potatoes and carrots available from Garry outside.

Gravy made with apple and calvados jelly from The Mediterranean Pantry - it was a feast.

1.  Peel and boil potatoes.
2.  Prep and steam carrots and cabbage.
3.  Fry gammon on a medium heat, until it starts to colour on both sides.  Remove and keep warm.
4.  Mash potato, add butter and seasoning.
5.  Add white wine (or cider) to gammon pan to make gravy from the juices, add a spoon of apple jelly until it melts.
6.  Fry eggs for the vegetarian.
7.  Serve, scoff .... groan cos you're too full to leave the table!

Fish and chips

Haddock today from Paul the fish - so old school battered fish, but baked wedges instead of chips.  Onion and green beans instead of mushy peas.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Gluten free flour
Egg
Soya milk
Onion
Green beans



1.  Cut potatoes into wedges, toss in olive oil and roast for 40 ish minutes.
2.  Whisk egg into flour, season and whisk in soya milk to reach a thick, double cream consistency.  Leave to stand while the potatoes roast.
3.  20 minutes in chop onion, put in a pan with a drop of olive oil.  Add chopped beans and a cup of wine or water and simmer.
4.  After 10 minutes - put olive oil and coconut oil in a large frying pan, and heat until hot.
5.  Dredge the fish in the batter, and fry for 3 minutes on each side.  Drain on kitchen paper.
6.  Serve, scoff.

Delicious - the batter is gluten free and lactose free, so we could all enjoy it - it's light, but crisps up well.