Roast paprika chicken

Ingredients

1 chicken
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 -3 tbsp of paprika
1 lemon, halved

Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan and boil the lemon halves for 3 minutes.

While the water is boiling, season the chicken generously with salt, including the cavity. Rub the olive oil into the chicken. and sprinkle the paprika over the chicken evenly. Push the hot lemon into the cavity.

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees and roast the chicken (duration depends on the weight of the chicken, 1.175kg = 1 hr 20 minutes).

When the chicken is done, leave in the oven for 10 minutes to rest.

I love roast chicken, it’s so simple to make and yet so wonderfully wholesome. The Brits got it right with the Sunday Roast. It’s such a good way to start the week, the breast meat, i am going to use it for pasta. The chicken leg and wings, I am going to shred the meat and eat it with salad and bread. The carcass, I have just made some chicken stock with it.

Saucy summer lamb

Taken from 101 One-Pot Dishes
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 can of chopped tomatoes
1.25 kg cubed lamb shoulder
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
290g jar artichoke hearts in oil, drained
large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

Season the lamb. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat heat and fry the lamb in batches until browned. Put to one side. Lower the heat, add the remaining oil and the onion to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until softened.

Return the lamb to the pan and stir in the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and splash in some hot water to cover the meat. Put the lid on and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Stir in the artichokes and mint, heat through and season to taste.

Creamy haddock and tatties

Taken from BBC 101 One-Pot Dishes
Serves 2

Ingredients

400g smoked haddock, skinned and chopped into chunks
1 trimmed leek, finely sliced
handful of parsley chopped
142ml carton double cream
2 medium baking potatoes, unpeeled and sliced as thinly as possible

Scatter the haddock, leek and parsley over the base of a shallow microwave dish and mix together. Drizzle over half the cream and 5 tbsp of water. Season with a little salt and plenty of black pepper and drizzle over the remaining cream.

Cover the fish with cling film and pierce a few times. Microwave on High for 8-10 minutes until everything is bubbling away and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. While the dish is in the microwave, preheat the grill to high.

Remove the cling film and put the dish under the grill until the potatoes are golden. Leave to stand for a minute before serving.

Because I don’t have a microwave, I brought the cream mixture to the boil on the stove before adding the potatoes on top. I then popped the dish into an oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes before switching it to the grill until the potatoes are nice and brown on top. Nice simple fish pie sort of dish and less effort is involved as you don’t need to mash up the potatoes before spreading it on top of the fish.

Paprika potato wedges

Taken and modified from 101 One-Pot Dishes-Tried and Tested Recipes.

Ingredients

750g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges (with the skin left on)
3 tsp paprika, sweet or smoked
1 spring onion, sliced.
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

Spread the potato wedges over the base of a roasting tin. Toss in the oil and sprinkle with paprika. Season with salt and Roast for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are tender. (Turn every ten minutes to make that the potatoes are roasted on all sides)

Add the spring onions and mix well.

If you get sick of french fries (chips), roasted potatoes with herbs or just plain old boiled potatoes, try this recipe, the paprika really gives the potatoes a good kick.

Andalucian pork

Ingredients

2 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp Olive oil
500g Pork fillet, trimmed
2 Lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic and salt with the olive oil to make a thick paste.

2. Spread the paste evenly over the pork, cover and marinate in the fridge, ideally overnight.

3. Cut the meat into slices on the diagonal.

4. Heat a griddle or large heavy frying pan until very hot. Cook the pork for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.

5. Serve at once with the lemon wedges

This is a Spanish dish, and one of the simplest pork dishes you can possibly cook. All you need to do is marinate the pork a few hours in advance and cook it. Done. I think it’s also an excellent marinate for BBQs although I haven’t actually tried it.

Oh and my improvisation on this recipe is adding lime juice (3 tsp) to the juices in the pan, mix well and use it as a salad dressing. You might need to add a bit more salt to taste.

Beef and beet borscht soup

Taken from Bowl Food

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves, garlic crushed
500g beef chuck steak, cut into 2cm cubes
1 litre beef stock
2 small beetroots
200g canned crushed tomatoes
1 carrot diced
2 potatoes, diced
2 1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200 degrees. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the beef, stock and 1 litre water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the hat and simmer, covered for 1 hr 5 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat.

Trim the beetroot just above the end of the leaf stalks. Wrap in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Unwrap and leave to cool.

Return the stock to the boil and add the tomato, carrot and potato, and season with salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Peel and dice the beetroot. Return the meat to the pan and add the beetroot, lemon juice, sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp of parsley and dill each. Cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through. Season to taste.

Remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with the remaining dill and parsley.

Pasta and turkey in cheese sauce

Taken from Chicken – the best ever recipe collection
Ingredients

75g butter
350g turkey breast fillet, cut into thin strips
2 pieces of bottled roasted pepper
175g spaghetti
900ml hot milk
115 grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp mustard powder

Melt about a third of the butter in a saucepan, add the turkey and sprinkle with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Toss the turkey over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until the meat turns white, then add the roasted pepper strips and toss to mix. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter over low heat in the pan in which the turkey was cooked. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium.

Add the milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring until the sauce is smooth. Add two thirds of the grated parmesan, then whisk in mustard salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta and return it to the clean pan. Mix in half the cheese sauce then spoon the mixture around the edge of an oven proof dish. Stir the turkey mixture into the remaining cheese sauce and spoon into the dish.

Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes until the topping is just crisp.

The roasted peppers is key to this dish. Turkey on its own is bland, and the taste of the cheese requires something to complement it and that’s the roasted peppers. And don’t bother if you don’t have any parmesan available, cheddar will do just as well. Any pasta will do too so you don’t have to use spaghetti; as you can see I didn’t use it.

Rainbow trout with garlic and herbs

Taken from the BBC website

Ingredients

For the fennel oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 bird’s-eye chillies
250ml/9fl oz extra virgin oil
For the fish
2 large rainbow trout, gutted and cleaned
1 head of garlic, cloves roughly chopped
3 banana shallots, sliced lenthways
2 sprigs of rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To prepare the fennel oil, lightly toss the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a high heat until they release a lightly toasted aroma – don’t let them burn or even colour. Pour into a small tightly sealed bottle with the olive the oil and the chillies.

2. Get your barbecue going a good half an hour before you want to use it. You want the flames to have died down and a strong generalised heat to be emanating from the coals.

3. Wash the fish inside and out. Place the garlic and shallots inside the cavity of the fish with the rosemary and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle the fennel oil inside the fish and secure the edges with a small skewer. Smear some of the oil on the outside of the trout, season generously and place on the grill. Cook each side until the flesh is only just cooked through. The skin should be crispy and golden brown.

I don’t have a BBQ and so the solution to this is the grill. Same timing and at the highest setting (at least for my grill) I love the salty crispy skin of the fish which goes along so well with the zingy olive oil dressing. It’s also quite a revelation for me that rosemary goes well with trout. The fish was easily consumed with yesterday’s braised red cabbage as a side dish.

Pork braised with red cabbage

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Recipe Source: The Vintner’s Table Cookbook: Recipes from a Winery Chef by Mary Evely (Simi Winery)

Ingredients:

3 pork tenderloins
1 cup Pinot Noir
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, mashed
Ground cloves
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 thick slices bacon
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled, sliced or julienned
1 (2-pound) red cabbage, cored, thinly shredded
1/2 cup beef stock (homemade or canned)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Steamed baby carrots, for garnish
Preparation:

Trim the tenderloins of all fat and silver skin.

Combine the Pinot Noir, 1/2 cup olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, garlic, and a pinch of ground cloves in a noncorrosive bowl and whisk to mix well. Add the pork tenderloin and turn to coat well. Marinate, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator for 8 hours or longer, turning 2 or 3 times.

Remove the tenderloins to drain on paper towels, reserving the marinade. Cut the tenderloins into halves. Brown in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan. Remove the pork.

Cut the bacon into 1/4-inch strips. Add to the saute pan. Cook over low heat just until light brown. Add the onion and sliced or julienned carrots. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage. Cook until it begins to wilt. Add the reserved marinade with the garlic, beef stock, salt and pepper; mix well. Add the pork, covering with the cabbage. Cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes, turning the pork once.

Remove the pork to a plate. Cook the cabbage, uncovered, until any remaining liquid is reduced to syrup. Adjust the seasonings. Slice the pork.

Spoon the cabbage onto plates and arrange the pork on top. Garnish with steamed baby carrots.

Well, I couldn’t find any pork tenderloin at Tesco, probably because I had to work late yesterday. So instead I used pork ribs which is good in a way because you don’t have to remove the pork ribs from the pot while the cabbage is braising.

The taste of the pork ribs wasn’t spectacular but I love the braised red cabbage!

Vegetarian dumplings

Inspired by vegetarian Tibetan Momos, I made some dumplings with tofu, chives and dried mushrooms.

Jeff wanted some soup as it was cold and rainy today..so we poured some miso soup over the dumplings.

Heartwarming!

Ingredients
1) a block of tofu (well it actually depends on how big your block is right? sighs, just estimate – this recipe is all about estimation. I actually use half a block of trader joe’s tofu
2) 10 dried mushrooms (soaked overnight in water, chopped finely)
3) a bunch of chives (chopped finely)
4) sesame oil
5) finely ground white pepper
6) soy sauce (generous dose, because tofu is quite tasteless)
7) 1 egg
black vinegar for dipping
9) wanton skins (I was sad when there was more filling than skins)

Steps:
1) mix tofu, mushrooms, chives together – mash the tofu till ground-up. You can do that with a fork
2) add sesame oil, pepper, soy sauce and egg, mix thoroughly
3) wrap tightly in wanton skins.
4) In the meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt and a little oil.
5) When water boils, add the dumplings.
6) They are cooked when they float to the top.
7) Serve with vinegar as dipping sauce, or pour your choice of hot, clear soup over it. (We did it with Miso, which tasted really good, I reckon chicken broth would be nice too.)