Cajun butter bean pie with asparagus

This is Cajun because I used blackened cajun seasoning - I claim no other level of authenticity.  It was quite spicy, but tasty and good for you.

I used coconut oil for the first time, after hearing so much about the health benefits.  It works well, and does not impart any coconuttiness.  I did give in and drizzle olive oil over the potatoes to get them to crisp up a bit.



Potatoes, skin on, chopped into bite sized pieces

Coconut oil
Chopped onion
Crushed garlic
Chopped celery
Cajun seasonning
Peeled and chopped carrot
Chopped red pepper
Butter beans
Tin of chopped tomatoes
olive oil
Asparagus

1.  Put the potatoes in salted water to boil.
2.  Sautee onion in coconut oil.
3.  Add chopped carrot and celery, with the crushed garlic and the spice mix to the onion.  Let soften briefly, then add red pepper.
4.  After about 10 minutes add butter beans and tomatoes, with about half a tin of water.  Simmer briefly.
5.  The potatoes will now be par boiled, drain them.
6.  Tip the butter bean mixture into an oven dish.  Tumble on the potatoes - gently pushing them to cover the mix.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake, in a hottish oven, for about 30-40 minutes.
7.  15 minutes before you want to serve, take the woody ends off the asparagus, and steam it.

15 minutes later - it should all be done - serve and scoff.

Cajun chicken strips, roman cauliflower and brown rice

Had some lovely, lovely victims round for tea tonight - and had some good chats, and some good laughs, and a nice tasty dinner. And I hope we can do it again soon... whenever, wherever... and this dinner was REALLY easy - but packed a punch.  Another bonus was that it was chucked together in 20 minutes ... sat waiting while we chatted ... and was delish when we sat down to eat (and chat and larf).  Thanks to victims for providing pud - I will be scoffing that tomorrow.


So, we'll start with the rice.....

Brown rice - cook it - according to packet instructions.  (Or, if the oven is on low-ish) put rice in a casserole with a lid, cover with water - height of rice + 1 inch, bring to the boil, stick in oven.  Ignore for at least 30 minutes, but basically until you are ready to eat.

Cajun chicken - buy cajun seasoning!  mix with cornmeal (50/50 - I used about 3 tbsps for 3).  (you could use flour or breadcrumbs, something dry to mix with the spices.  Toss in strips of chicken breast.  Shallow fry in olive oil - a couple of mins on each side - when you are ready to eat.

Roman cauliflower - chop 1 large onion, soften in olive oil - add 2 cloves crushed garlic and some mixed herbs/ oregano - add chopped red pepper, mushrooms and cauliflower florets, stir around for a bit.  Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes & a tin of water.  Simmer for a bit, add small pinch of chili flakes (you don't want hot... just a tiny backgroud kick) - and a couple of tbsps of black olives, sliced (I used sliced out of a jar... OK they're not premium kick-ass olive - but they do the job really well, and they are SO quick).

Yogurty sauce - low fat natural yogurt, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 tsps olive oil, pinch of salt, grinding of black pepper and juice of half a lime - stir....

Receive fulsome praise from gathered victims (Both of whom had seconds... let it be recorded).

Just to add.... Really best of luck to victim the younger who is chucking their good self out of an airyplane in the morning for the good of charity....  (bonkers!)

Cajun chicken, roasted root veg and greens in creme fraiche

It's been quite an odd week - in that victim has done most of the dinners.  This is a very pleasant change, but I'm not used to it!  We had - quorn chili, hot vegetable soup, corned beef hash and beef biryani of earlier post.  Chopped potato, swede and turnip - roasted in olive oil, mustard and thyme for an hour or so.  Chopped leek and softenned in white wine, when nearly soft added chopped green beans, simmered for about 10 minutes, added chopped cavolo nero and simmered until wilted (5 minutes).  Meanwhile, tossed chicken strips in blackenned cajun seasoning and olive oil, then fried them for about 2 minutes on each side - till cooked through.  Took greens off the heat, seasonned and stirred in dollop of creme fraiche.  I loved the veg - victim loved the chicken... not sure it all went completely together, but there you go!

British Sausage Week: Day 1: Halloween Spicy Sausage Casserole

Grill chipolata sausages until browned. Chop and saute vegetables - leek, red pepper, courgette and pumpkin (see what I did there? for Halloween?) in olive oil - until soft.  Add sprinkle of mixed herbs and 2 minced cloves of garlic.  When soft add chicken stock, sausages and tin of tomatoes - add hot Cajun sauce, chili, marmite and season to taste.  Simmer for 30mins or so, making sure there is enough sauce.  Scoff with basmati rice.  Very tasty.

Cajun chargrilled chicken, rice and spring vegetables

The request was for ricey stuff - but, again, I didn't quite fancy that - but took what was in the fridge to make something a bit more ... well, .... thingy.  So we ended up with steamed rice (thai jasmine in this case - but could have been basmati, white, brown... mix etc)  infact lime infused rice would have been really nice.  Chopped spring onions, garlic, courgette and sauteed for 5-10 mins until just catching at the edges - added splosh of white wine and simmered - then added chopped green beans, added water when it looked like it was getting dry.  Meanwhile podded broad beans and poured on some boiling water. Tossed bite sized chicken pieces in cajun seasoning and some black pepper.  Then started on the mammoth task of individually taking the skin off the individual broad beans - a faff, but they are much sweeter and glisten like green jewels in the mix if you can be bothered.  Then put some roughly chopped curly kale in pan with small amount of water to wilt and then steam.  So, after about 20 mins - rice is steaming, spring veg casserole is ticking over, curly kale is steaming gently, chicken is "marinading" in cajun mix.  Stir juice of half a lime into 3 tbsps creme fraiche (to taste) and season.  Heat olive oil in  frying pan and quick fry seasonned chicken pieces - chuck broad beans into spring veg casserole and mix in, keep on mendium heat until all heated through.  Plate up - as prettily as possible when the chicken is cooked (should be about 6 mins, turning half way through).

Victimed moaned about curly kale (predictable) but it was my favourite bit, which is why I keep trying.  All in all, uses more pans than I can usually be bothered with for just a tea - but I thought the dinner was worth it.  Victim scoffed all of the courgette etc mix, so that's a result of sorts!  Creme fraiche (or yogurt) dressing means you can be a bit more ruthless with the cajun flavouring on the chicken.