Fish curry

Fancy a taste more exotic.  Todmorden market still has it all!  Oriental Foods, The Mediterranean Pantry, Paul the fish and Kev for the veg … this whole easy, but very tasty, dinner was sourced from Tod market.

Coconut oil
Red onion
Garlic
Malaysian curry paste
Curry leaves
Aubergine
Red pepper
Courgette
Green beans
Tomatoes
Coconut milk
Haddock
Basmati rice

1.  Cook rice - I cook it in a heavy cast iron pot, cover with water + 1 inch of water over the surface of the rice, bring to the boil, put the lid on and turn it down as far as possible - leave to cook until all the water has been absorbed.
2.  Sautee chopped onion and crushed garlic in coconut oil.
3.  Add curry paste and a small handful of curry leaves, to the onions and stir in. Cook for a minute or so, and then add chopped veg.
4.  When the veg have softened a little add a tin of coconut milk and half a tin of water, simmer.
5.  When the veg is nearly done add chunks of haddock, simmer again for about 7 minutes.
6.  Serve, scoff …

Todmorden tapas

This glorious summer continues, and dinner needs to be less pie and mash and more colourful vibrant mixtures, but not just boring salads.  A few minutes and a scout around the market, and some chopping can bring you this …

Pepperonata
Garlic mushrooms
Jamaican jerk chicken
Halloumi
Vinci olives
Green beans
Baby spinach
Pitta


Pepperonata

Red peppers
Red onion
garlic
olive oil
white wine
Tomatoes

Sautee chopped onions and crushed garlic until soft, add chopped peppers and tomatoes and cook down, add a drop of water and some wine when it looks like it is going dry.  Cook until peppers are soft.

Garlic mushrooms

Gently fry mushrooms in olive oil and butter, add a splash of cognac and a grind of black pepper.

Jamaican jerk chicken

Mix together a spoonful of natural yogurt, a spoonful of olive oil and a spoonful of Jamaican jerk seasoning.  Toss chicken in the mixture and fry for about 6 minutes, turning frequently until cooked.

Fry halloumi, steam beans and toast pitta.

Done --- serve, and scoff … the beauty being that people can have exactly the mixture which they want.

Seared scallops, with roe sauce, garlic beans and herby courgettes

The picture really does not do this justice - it was delicious.

We found some lovely looking scallops in Leeds, with the coral attached - this is quite unusual these days, so I thought we would treat ourselves.  And, what a treat it was!

Scallops
Butter
Olive oil
Red onion
Garlic
Cognac
Lemon
New potatoes
Green beans
Courgettes
Tuscan mix

Make the sauce first, then half prep things, then finish off with the scallops.

1.  Finely chop a red onion, and crush a couple of cloves of garlic.
2.  Sautee half the onion and half the garlic gently in a mixture of olive oil and butter, until they are soft.
3.  Put the other half of the onion, with a good pinch of salt, in a big bowl, with some olive oil - into which you mix the hot potatoes when they are ready.
4.  Put the other half of the garlic into a small frying pan with a knob of butter, which you will melt and add to the green beans when they are done.
5.  Chop courgettes, put into a bag with a spoon of Tuscan mix, jiggle it about until they are all covered, they add in a glug of olive oil, and jiggle it about again.
6.  Separate the coral from the scallops and rinse both parts gently.
7.  Add a glug of cognac to the softened onions and garlic, then add the corals.  Cook for about 3 minutes.
8.  Boil new potatoes, steam prepped beans on top.
9.  Transfer coral mixture to a small blender, add a grind of black pepper and a squirt of lemon juice.  Zizz until fairly smooth.
10.  Griddle the courgettes, for a couple of minutes each side, then keep warm.
11.  Sear the scallops in a hot pan for a minutes or two each side.
12.  Toss the beans in garlic butter, and the potatoes in chopped onion.
13.  Serve, scoff

… have seconds, and then thirds.

Kedgeree

This amazing long hot summer continues, and I am enjoying myself cooking in the garden.

I got a load of bargain smoked haddock from Paul the fish on Saturday, and with a houseful, decided on this delicious kedgeree.  It was well received by all;  most of us had seconds, one person had thirds.

Basmati rice
Eggs
Smoked haddock
Coconut oil
Onion
Garlic
Curry powder
red pepper
carrots
frozen peas
Baby spinach

1.  Prepare the main bits - cook rice, boil and peel eggs and poach the fish.
2.  Pull the dish together.  Fry chopped onions, garlic in spices until onions are nearly translucent.  Add vegetables and a little water, cook until the veg are done.
3.  Add cooked rice, flake in cooked fish and stir around gently.  Cook for about 4 minutes.
4.  Add frozen peas and baby spinach - stir them in until spinach is wilted - again about 5 minutes.
5.  Top with boiled eggs.
6.  Serve, scoff.....

Spanish feast ... innit

We had a house full ... which is fabulous ... but it's also a very, very sad time here.

No details, this is not the place...

But we needed a cheering dinner to suit - veggie, veg dodger, lactose intolerant and gf .... so I came up with this... chorizo and pork casserole, butter bean casserole and potato wedges... we ALL loved it

Olive oil
potatoes

onions
garlic
red pepper
mushrooms
pork loin steaks/diced pork
chorizo
butter beans
dry sherry (optional)
tin of chopped tomatoes
cabbage

1.  Start off with the potatoes - cut them into wedges and toss them in olive oil - then roast - at about 180, for about 45 minutes.
2.  Start the two stews ... sautee chopped onion and garlic until soft.
3.  Split the cooked onion and garlic into 2 pans and add the other ingredients to each ... 1 veggie - 1 meaty.
4.  So for the veggie - red pepper and mushrooms.
5.  for the meaty - chopped  chorizo and pork ... cook them both, stirring so they dont stick for about 5 minutes.
6.  Then add ... to the veggies a tin of drained butter beans, to the meaty a splash of dry sherry.  Simmer.
7.   Split a tin of chopped tomatoes between the two pans, add some stock and simmer away.
8.  Chop the cabbage into slices (not shredded, but not chunks)  .. chuck it into the veg stew.
9.  Serve, scoff ... yum