Pork 'n beans: Cowboy Stew

Onions
garlic
Olive oil
Cumin
Chilli flakes
Pork loin steaks
Red pepper
Green beans
Tomatoes
American mustard
Stock
Kidney beans
Chopped tomatoes (tin)
Basmati rice

1.  Sautee chopped onions and crushed garlic in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped pork loin steaks, and stir around, add cumin seeds and chilli flakes. 
3.  When the pork starts to brown a little round the edges, add chopped pepper, beans and tomatoes.
4.  When the veg have softened slightly add a good dollop of american mustard (the sweet hotdog sort is best).
5.  Add stock, from a cube in our case, and a tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans.
6.  Simmer for a good 20 minutes.  Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.
7.  Put rice on - I use the adsorption method - rice in the pan, cover with cold water to an inch above the level of the rice, bring to the boil.  As soon as it boils turn the heat right down and slam the lid on.
8.  Simmer again (putting the tinned tomatoes and salt in later reduces the toughening up of the skins of the kidney beans).  Stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan, check that it doesn't get too dry, add a little water if it is.
9.  Serve, scoff, seconds ....

Chilli two ways, with GF cheesy cornbread

We had no potatoes!  We had recently had both rice and pasta, so I wanted something different on the carbs front - so - cornbread, why not?  This led quickly to the obvious decision to combine it with chili for dinner.  A minced beef one for the veg dodger, an aubergine based one for the veggie - and, of course, both for me!

Olive oil
Onions
Garlic
Cumin
Chilli flakes
Mixed herbs
Paprika
Carrots
Minced beef
Aubergine
Courgettes
Red pepper
Kidney beans
Black beans
Passata
Soya milk
Dark chocolate
Sour cream
Lime (optional)

Corn bread

GF plain flour
polenta/cornmeal
baking soda
baking powder
salt
egg
soya milk
sour cream
grated cheddar

1.  Start the chillies.  In two separate pans sweat down chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Add crushed garlic, herb and spices - we don't like things too hot so I held back on the chili flakes, you can add, but it's very difficult to take away (if you do over spice you need some sugar to counter balance, so a big squirt of ketchup can help).
3.  Add chopped carrot to both, and continue to sweat down.
4.  Add minced beef to the meaty version, and diced aubergine to the veggie version.  Stir.  Keep stirring every now and again until mince is browned, and aubergine is slightly soft.
5.  Add chopped courgettes and red pepper to both, stir in.
6.  Drain a tin of kidney beans and a tin of black beans, stir half of each into each chili.
7.  Then add a cup of passata and a cup of water - simmer - season to taste.
8. When they are cooked (about 20 minutes, but you can just keep simmering gently, just make sure that they don't get too dry, add more water if necessary), add dark chocolate and a splash of milk/soya milk (this just "softens" the chili slightly). Stir until chocolate has dissolved. Spritz with lime if you have any.


Make soda bread

1.  Combine a cup of GF plain flour, a cup of cornmeal, 1/2tsp each of salt, baking powder and baking soda.
2.  Whisk together 1 egg, about half a cup of soya milk and a spoonful of natural yogurt or sour cream (you need a little acid to get the baking soda working).
3.  Mix a big handful of grated cheese into the wet ingredients.
4.  Combine the dry and the wet ingredients - kneed gently, but not for too long.  Juts enough to bring the mixture together.  Form into a round - with a sharp knife slash the top in a cross.
5.  Bake, on a floured tray, in a medium oven for about 30 minutes.

Serve, with sour cream .... scoff

National vegetarian week: Day 3: Broccoli and cashew, szechuan kidney bean and vegetables

An oriental feel to english vegetables for day 3 of national vegetarian week ,,, this is one step further in being totally vegan - also GF if you use GF soy sauce.

Rice
Peanut oil
Spring onion
Garlic
Ginger
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Cashew nuts
Black bean sauce
Carrots
Pepper
Courgette
Kidney beans
Tomato puree
szechuan pepper
soy sauce
rice wine
sesame oil
sesame seeds

1.  Cook rice - cover with water - to an inch over the rice, bring to the boil, slam on tight fitting lid and turn right down.
2.  Prep all the veg - spring onion chopped, garlic finely chopped and ginger into tiny slivers,  broccoli into small florets and thinly chopped stem, slice mushrooms.  Peel and chop carrots into skinny batons, cut pepper and courgette into similar shapes.
3.  In 2 woks, or similar, start both dishes with spring onion, garlic and ginger in hot oil.
4.  Add mushroom and broccoli to one, and carrot, pepper and courgette to the other - stir fry.
5  To mushrooms and broccoli add a spoonful of black bean sauce and a drop of water, stir fry.
6.  To other veg add a squeeze of tomato puree, crushed szechuan peppers, a splosh of soy sauce and a splosh of rice wine, a tin of drained kidney beans, and half a cup of water.
7.  Keep both on a high heat, tossing about until done - it doesn't take long.
8.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on the szechuan mixture.
9.  Serve, scoff ... we all managed chop sticks!

Iranian lamb stew

Todmorden market win again - fantastic local lamb from Bracewell's - (it's Hebridean but born and raised in Tod) - garlic, herbs, spices and kidney beans from The Mediterranean Pantry.  Yogurt from The Crumbly Cheese.

I was a little sceptical about lamb and kidney beans, but it works really really well.  I also made a veggie version using mushrooms and courgettes instead of minced lamb, following the rest of the recipe with all the other ingredients.  Both versions were delicious, and very firmly on the "do again" list.

Basmati rice

Onion

Garlic

Turmeric

Sabzi Ghalieh Mahi (Iranian herb mix)

Lamb mince

Turmeric

Chicken stock

Kidney beans

Spinach

Lime

Natural yogurt

1.  Cook rice – put in pan covered + 1 inch with water, boil for 10 minutes, put tight fitting lid on, turn off heat and let sit for a further 10 minutes.
2.   Sautee chopped onion in olive oil, then add crushed garlic.
3.   Add minced lamb and cook until browned (for veggie version at this point add chopped mushrooms and courgettes).
4.   Add about ½ teaspoon of turmeric and about a tablespoon or so of sabzi mix.
5.   Add drained kidney beans and stock, simmer for about 10 minutes.
6.   Add big handfuls of spinach, and stir in until wilted.
7.   Finish with a spritz of lime juice.
8.   Serve with rice and natural yogurt.
9.  Scoff

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.

Jamaican jerk chicken, rice and peas and salad

Rice and peas

Rice
Kidney beans

Jerk chicken

Olive oil
Chicken breast
Jamaican jerk seasoning

Salad
Garlic infused olive oil
Lettuce

Honestly, this can't really be called a recipe, as it's so easy!  I have cheated with the rice and peas, in that, really they should be done with coconut milk, but we didn't really feel like it... so, I made it much more plain.

1.  Put rice in a pot which can be used on the hob, and then in the oven.  Turn the oven onto to medium.
2. Add the drained kidney beans and enough water to cover, plus an inch.
3.  Bring the rice to the boil, bang the lid on, and put it in the oven.
4.  Marinate the chicken breast in olive oil and the jerk seasoning.
5.  Splash a little garlic infused oil in the bottom of a salad bowl, bung in the lettuce.  Toss when you serve the dinner.
6.  Ten minutes before serving, fry the chicken, in quite a hot pan...

Scoff.

Seasoning would go with chicken, pork, fish and halloumi.

Veggie chilli, guacamole - rice and tortilla chips

Another bitterly cold day so I thought we deserved a bit a warming comforting summat.  Also, there was an avocado from the veg box which needed using up - so, why not a bit of chilli?

Veggie Chilli
Olive oil
Garlic
onion
carrots
red pepper
mixed herbs
chilli flakes
green beans
turkish beans
red kidney beans
vegan bouillon
water
salt and pepper

basmati rice

Guacamole
red onion
tomato
avocado
juice of half a lemon

tortilla chips
natural yogurt (or sour cream)

It takes about 45 minutes, start to finish ... but you could let it simmer away happily for longer if you were busy with something else.

1.  Soften chopped onion in olive oil.
2.  Add chopped carrots, red pepper and green beans with the crushed garlic.
3.  Turn all the veg over in the pan for a couple of minutes, then add a good pinch of mixed herbs and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.
4.  Add a teaspoon of bouillon powder and about a pint of water.  Simmer.
6.  Put the rice on - I put it in a cast iron pot, cover with water to an inch above the surface, bring to the simmer, cover and pop into a coolish oven.  This will wait patiently until you are ready.
5.  Add a tin of turkish beans (like greek giant beans, but a bit smaller - in a tasty tomato sauce).  Add a drained tin of kidney beans.  Simmer for another 20 minutes, adding water and seasoning as necessary.
6. While it's simmering chuck together the guacamole - chop a red onion, finely.  Chop a tomato and add to the onion.  Scoop the flesh out of the avocado and add that too - squish the mixture with a spoon.  Squirt on the juice of half a lemon - mix and keep covered, in the fridge, until you are ready to eat.
7. 5 minutes before serving pop the tortilla chips into the oven in an oven proof dish, to warm through.
8.  Serve, scoff - adding yogurt if you wish.  Grated cheese would be another possible garnish.

Lovely!  Would have been vegan except that I am not vegan, and I like the coolness of the yogurt.  The guacamole was particularly well received, as there was a bit of a crunch left in it - and we like that :)

Caribbean vegetable stew and rice

Raging sore throat and really spiky earache (you'll understand if you have had it like this) ... and otherwise rotating cold symptoms have kept me off work and indoors all day.  I tried to make something both comforting and spicy to help clear the tubes for tea.

I was still feeling grim at teatime so wanted something to basically cook itself... this did, once the veggies had been chopped and it was sitting in the oven waiting.

So, what I did was....

2 leeks, chopped and washed
Rape seed oil
caribbean spice mix
mixed herbs
crushed garlic
chopped mushrooms
chopped green beans
tin of kidney beans
peeled and chopped butternut squash
tin of chopped tomatoes
Spoon of peanut butter
water
seasonning

Brown rice
water

1.  Sautee leeks off in oil.
2.  Add herbs, spices and garlic - stir around.
3.  Add in other veg, drained tin of beans and squash.  Turn over in the oil.  Add water and bring to simmer.
4. Add spoon of peanut butter and tomatoes, stir in, simmer and taste - adjust seasoning if necessary- I added chili (but i think that's because this cold is preventing me tasting things).
5.  Add water and bung in the oven with the rice until ready to eat.

Dinner was great, and I thin the spice has helped a bit - but my ears still hurt... ho hum.

Caribean vegetable stew, with rice and peas

Veg box had squash, pepper and beans, and I fancied something a bit spicy, so came up with this.

Olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 squash
Handful green beans
1 red pepper
Tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp peanut gravy mix
Cajun seasoning

Big handful of brown rice
Tin kidney beans

Peanuts

Lettuce
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

1.  Put rice in vast iron pot, add drained kidney beans.  Add water to 2 inches above rice and beans.  Stir.  Bring to the boil, cover,  then transfer to an over at 150C.
2.  Sautee onion and garlic until a little softenned.  Then add prepared veggies.  Cook for a few minutes, letting them soften.
3.  Add tin of tomatoes, a tinful of water and the Cajun seasoning and peanut mix.  Simmer away until rice is done - about 30 minutes.
4.  Dry fry peanuts - smash up a bit in a pestle and mortar.
5.  Toss lettuce in a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic.

Scoff.  Delish.

Buy nothing September has not worked out quite so well, and I haven't written everything down - but I am avoiding big food shops.

Pepper and kidney bean "risotto"

Not a very good picture - but a nice, comforting dinner.  Spicy rice mixture, creamy kidney beans and sharp pecorino.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek
2 celery stalks
1 large pepper (yellow today)
1 courgette
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp mixed herbs
pinch chili flakes
small mug of rice
1 tin kidney beans
1 pint water
1 tin tomatoes
50g pecorino

1. Sweat chopped leeks and celery in olive oil, add other chopped vegetables.
2.  After a couple of minutes add garlic, herbs and chili.
3.  Add rice, turn over in pan until each grain is separated, and all ingredients have a film of oil.
4.  Add about half a pint of water, simmer until it starts to be soaked in.
5.  Add tin of kidney beans (rinsed), simmer for 5 minutes, add more water if it looks as if its going to dry out.
6.  After about 5-10 minutes add tinned tomatoes (chop on back of wooden spoon in the pan, if they are not already chopped).
7. Keep simmering, stirring occasionally.  Should be ready after about 10 minutes.
8.  Turn heat off, allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Serve, sprinkled with cheese.

This has made about 5 portions.

Baked potato with quorn chili

When the beloved victim is under the weather there is, fairly frequently, a request for chili.  Today, there was also a request for baked potato.  But speedily! Well, a chest infection does that to a person.  So, prick big potatoes and rub with olive oil. In microwave at nuke force max for 10 minutes.  Then transfer to hot oven for at least 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, usual story with the chili, chop and sautee in olive oil - onion, celery, red pepper and mushrooms.  Add chicken type Quorn pieces.  Stir in chili mix and herbs and season, add tin of kidney beans and tin of chopped tomatoes.  Simmer until potatoes are done - taste, season, serve.  Receive compliments from adoring victims, well, single short but appreciative comment as they go back to the Star Trek movie!  Hey ho - will be watching Corrie in the kitchen again, then!

Chili con carne

I'm not sure that victim has got the gist of this no repeat February malarky - this time chili con carne was DEMANDED no less.  By next week there will be another hankering, but it'll have to be refused... scoffing all your favourites early in the month can lead to disappointment later - however, it may leave room for some more adventurous dinners.  Saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic - add chopped green and yellow peppers - add mince and chili powder and cumin - season - add chopped mushrooms, chopped fresh tomatoes.  Add tinned chopped tomatoes and simmer, after 20 minutes add tinned kidney beans and simmer again.  Check seasoning and spritz in lime juice at the end.  Serve with brown rice and yogurt.  Victim happily scoffed the treat, and so far is not phased by the rest being packed into the freezer for later (post February).