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.

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).

Suppa chili con carne

Keeping to the spirit of souper December, coupled with the very stormy weather today made me think of chili - and I had seen it on a blog a while ago so feel justified (http://simply-delicious.co.za/2011/06/15/chilli-con-carne-soup/) in claiming it as a soup.  What is the definition of soup anyway?  According to the Free Dictionary "A liquid food prepared from meat, fish, or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces."  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/soup OK - it counts. Chop onion, celery and red pepper;  saute in olive oil.  Add chopped mushrooms, crushed garlic and chili spices.  Add mince and brown a little, add two tins of chopped tomatoes, some stock and simmer.  Simmer a bit more.  Add drained kidney beans and simmer a bit more.  Serve topped with avocado, natural yogurt and chili and a squirt of lime juice.  Victim scoffed happily, but claims again that I am a wuss with the chili.  

Keema curry

Shed loads of mince in the freezer - and not really feeling like spag bol or chili, or any of the usual mince stand-bys - I remembered at Uni when we used to have Keema curry at about midnight after a pub crawl - it was called keema curry - but really it was mince and peas - with assorted levels of firey heat.  I remember some of the assembled rabble would show off and order it so hot it made their eyeballs sweat!  Anyway, this was my much tamer version - which has a lot more veg in it.
Chop and fry onion, celery and carrot - brown off minced beef - add garlic, ginger paste and chili flakes and a good shake of curry powder/paste (biryani mix in this case) - add chopped mushrooms, red pepper, courgette and green beans.  Add big squirt of tomato puree, another big squirt of tomato ketchup and about a pint of stock.  Simmer for 30 mins.

Spaghetti bolognaise

We all need comfort food somtimes!  The usual victim had had a stressful course in London this weekend, so when she got home I wanted to give her something familiar and comforting.  Spag bog hit the nail on the head.  Not much praise, except a doleful smile and a big sigh - "soooo happy to be home" awwwww!

I have looked at some other food blogs, and actually paid attention to some of them - and they actually write out recipes as recipes - so I guess I should follow suit.  This is what I did, but you can add lot of different veg, and even eek out with lentils if a crowd suddenly descends.


For the sauce:- (serves 4-6 depending on greediness, takes about an hour)

1tbsp olive oil
2 chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, cruched
2 tsp dried herbs
500 g miced beef
2 sticks celery
1 courgette
1 red pepper
200 g mushrooms
1 tin chopped tomoatoes
400 ml passata
big squirt tomato ketchup
big squirt tomato puree
big squirt american hotdog mustard
small squirt Worcester sauce
large glass red wine
about 300 ml chicken stock
grated parmesan



spaghetti

1. Soften onions, garlic and chopped celery for 5-10 mins. 
2. Add mince and brown, add mixed herbs.
3.  Chop up the rest of the vegetables and stir in, continue sauteeing for about 10 minutes.
4.  Add tin chopped tomatoes, passata, the squirts of condiments, wine and stock.  Season to taste - quite a lot of black pepper and a pinch of salt for us.
5.  Simmer with a lid, or put in oven for at least 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6.  Boil a lot of salted water, when boiling add spaghetti - boil for a minute less than the packet instructions - and test for al dente.
7. Drain pasta - mix in 1 spoon of sauce to prevent sticking.
8. Serve - grate parmesan on top.

Victim loves it - there were left overs for nuked dinner at work - so we might get an independent review.

Meatloaf ... veg out of hell

Meatloaf - zizz onion and garlic, reload zizzer with bread for breadcrumbs, once zizzed empty into bowl with onions and garlic mush and continue with a courgette or two, and half a red chilli... this is the first secret veg.  Mix zizzed ingredients with minced beef and 2 eggs.  Add herbs, and a good amount of seasoning - squish and mix with hands and put into lined loaf tin.  Bake in bain marie in hot oven for 45 mins +.  Meanwhile I made a slightly spicy tomato sauce (onions, garlic, celery, carrot (secret veg 2 and 3) and chopped tomatoes - splash of lea and perrins, salt and black pepper) simmer on low for however long it takes, adding water if it gets dry.  Also boiled some potato chunks, then put in oven drizzled with olive oil for 15 mins, steamed sweetcorn and runner beans.  Victim left visible green stuff - but that meant 5 types of 6 eaten!  chortle.  Next time will spice meat mixture more, as it was a tad ordinary - maybe just add some spicy BBQ or cajun sauce to the mix.

Chicken news:  Sophie and Rosemary still broody despite frequent de-nesting (chickens swear you know)- only one egg (Clarissa?) and Clarissa trying to become an inside chicken - roaming into the kitchen at the slightest opportunity.