bonfire ribs feast

 Some great mates round for fireworks dinner ... and a trip to the local fireworks extravanganza... "extrava-flipping-ganza" ... that'll be 10 minutes at a push then!

So we had to console ourselves with scoffing slow cooked spicy ribs, with baked potatoes and roasted pumpkin and pepper.

Gathered victims loved the crispy top of the ribs, and the extra marinade gravy.... and all got pretty sticky around the chops... no pics of this, as I was too busy scoffing mine.  Only the smallest victim ran to the fridge for a glass of milk, everybody else was lip smacking and licking their fingers.

Recipe

Wash and pierce potatoes, rub gently with olive oil - stick in oven.

Sticky ribs:-

Marinade
1 tsp ginger
3 cloves crushed garlic
glug olive oil
chili flakes
tomato ketchup
soy sauce (wheat free for gluten free)
dark brown sugar
Lime juice
salt, pepper
chili sauce
worcestershire sauce
tinned peaches (about 6 slices squashed)

Whisk together - taste to adjust

Sheet of pork ribs

Get the butcher to score the skin on the ribs.
Slather generously in marinade.  (If there is time leave in the fridge for a couple of hours).
Roast in a hot oven for 30 minutes, then turn down/ transfer to a medium oven for about 2 hours.
Leave to rest while you reduce the excess marinade on the hob to provide extra sauce.
Scoff

Roast vegetables

Chuck wedges of red onion, roughly chopped red pepper and peeled and chopped butternut squash and pumkin in olive oil with salt and pepper.  Add 4 chopped apples, spitzed with lime juice to prevent discolouration.  Roast for about 40 minutes.

I also chopped 2 leeks and a packet of green beans - chuck into pan with glug of olive oil and a small glass of white wine.  Bring to boil on hob, then chuck in the oven (with a lid on) to steam/braise for about 30ish minutes.

Sticky ribs, boaked potatoes and at least 5 veg --- score!  and delish.

Shame about the fireworks - so we had a little sparkler action.

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.

Cowboy beans

sigh!  Fresh, delicious, porky beany slow cooked garlicy spicey stew... with nutty rice and a green veg.  AND VICTIM DECLARES PREFERENCE FOR THE PRODUCTS OF THE COMPANY OF 57 VARIETIES!!!! Never mind.  Despite many years of training, old habits and tastes die hard... and victim does keep sneaking contraband into the diet.... SO, putting my disappointment aside - and celebrating the fact that I think it was LOADS better than anything tinned... here is what I did... (OK, last warning... if you prefer plasticised sausges in a tin with sugary sauce - please open your tin - if you want real food with some flavour reading on might be useful....).  We had some pork belly slices in the freezer and none of us are keen on the fat, so I thought a sear - followed by a long slow stew would give tasty results - so chop pork belly into small bite size pieces and brown/sear in hot olive oil.  Add 2 chopped onions and about 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic.  Then added veg - in this case - orange pepper, celery and some nice mushrooms.  Stir in until all coated with pan juices - add herbs, tsp marmite, tsp mustard, big splash Lea and Perrins and whatever hot sauce (tabasco/ BBQ whatever is to hand... to taste), {erm .. if going even more from scratch here you need molasses, vinegar, chili, pepper, salt and other spices to taste) and good grind of black pepper.  Simmer / put in hottish oven if you have other stuff on - for about 30 ins - added soaked / tinned (prepared in a carton from S'sby) - cannelini or flagolet beans - taste - add whatever you think it needs - try salt first, then add herbs/ marmite for complexity - chili/curry powder for heat.  Add tin tomatoes and/or cartons of passata until it all looks OK...  Serve with rice (see the packet!) and a green veg.  Victim complained (unfairly I think, see above) but also commandeered good portion to feed outlaws - and 4 more dinners packed in boxes... so on economy scale I approximate - 65-70p per portion.