Life is Soupy...

It's true...and when life is soupy, what do I do? Why! Make soup, of course! Or I do that anyway because I go home for the weekend and a meal is produced that I know would put me in hospital...or at least in a lot of discomfort (silly fibre!!). I also felt creative, I'd had chicken thighs for lunch and the only thing available in the fridge for me to be creative with, were chicken thighs...so I had to change it up. Do something different. So I did. Here ya go:

Life is Soupy
Ingredients:
2 Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
Salt + Pepper
Oregano
Thyme
1 Large Onion (white or...whatever other colour you want...brown, purple, pink with polkadots...)
1 Large Garlic Clove (2 Medium Cloves, 3 Small Cloves....etc. etc.)
1 Large Carrot (see above 'Garlic Clove' for variations on quantity)
1 Celery Stick
A Large Handful of Shitake Mushrooms
A Slightly Smaller Handful of Chestnut Mushrooms...
2 Chicken Stock Cubes

Method:
1. So, first you've got to flavour that chicken...or marinade as some like to say. Just tip a generous quantity of olive oil, salt and pepper and some herbs (I used Oregano and Thyme) into a bowl and give it a stir. Chop/cut the thighs up into whatever size you like your meat...and bung them in the bowl. Give them all a mix around using a spoon, your hand, a fork, your brother's fork...cover with a tea towel or similar and leave while you prep everything else. 
2. Preparing the vegetables is next. Peel and chop the onion into small cubes, the garlic into thin slices, and the carrot, celery and mushrooms into smallish chunks but based off your own preference of vegetable chunkiness...
3. Once all the veg is chopped and looks all pretty and healthy and colourful, place a deep pan on the heat with the temperature quite low. Pour in a splash of olive oil and wait a little for it to heat up (do not test it with your finger...silly muppet). 
4. Start with the Chicken. You can add a bit of the marinade to the pan too (if you like) before tipping all the pieces in. Leave them until they properly start sizzling then start rotating them with a spoon...spatula...whatever floats your boat...or kitchen. Keep moving them and allowing all pieces and all sides of each piece to reach the heat and colour. To check if they're cooked, take one of the larger pieces and cut it in half checking the middle to see if it is still pink. If it is, keep the chicken going for a little while longer. Once they're ready, remove them from the pan and leave on a plate at the side while you deal with the vegetable bit. 
5. First, the onion. Tip all the pieces into the pan and give them a stir so that they're covered in oil and none of them are burning. After a minute or two, add the garlic. Once these have both softened, add the other vegetables in this order: carrot, celery, mushrooms (not a specific type first...just mushrooms). Give the carrots and celery a good 5-10 minutes though before adding the mushrooms as these take longer to soften and no-one wants a an unexpected crunch in their soup now do they!
5. You can use a wooden spoon to test your veggy mix and see how they're getting on. Test the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Oooh, vegetabley soupy thing!

6. With the veg ready to go, you can throw the chicken back in and pop the kettle on...as I've said in other recipes, this is not for a cuppa, we are professionals, dammit! Find a jug and place two chicken stock cubes in it. Add boiling water and give them a stir encouraging the cubes to break down and produce a delicious chickeny...herby...soupy.....liquid?
7. With the stock done and the solid ingredients all cooked through, add the liquid to the pan until it's at a soupy enough level for your liking. You can then give it another stir, a taste (you can even add noodles, tiny pasta pieces or some Parmesan cheese to the mix) and....

Tadaaaaaa!

Pasta-Of-No-Specific-Shape-Or-Size Bolognese

So I'm a bit of a carnivore...if you haven't noticed. Bar a few exceptions, most of the recipes on here are of the meat variety. Pasta is no exception. Ignoring my life long obsession with pesto, green, red, homemade...shop made...all pesto, I basically don't eat pasta unless it's served with meat...is that weird?

Actually...hang on...that's not entirely true. My dad makes a delicious courgette pasta recipe that I love and Carluccios do a wonderful pasta funghi dish........neither of which include meat....

But for the sake of creativity, writing, blogging, all that shizzle, I do like my meats. So today I thought I'd give you my recipe for bolognese. I won't call it Spag Bol because I don't tend to use Spaghetti but call it what you will, the sauce is the same. Sauceyyy.

Pasta-Of-No-Specific-Shape-Or-Size Bolognese

Ingredients
1 Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
3 medium carrots, 2 large carrots, 1 ginormous carrot...carrots
1 large leek (see carrots for alternative quantities)
A medium handful of mushrooms (find someone with medium hands or make a guess)
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper and Mixed Herbs
500g of Beef Mince
A can (or 2) of chopped tomatoes
1 Oxo Cube 


Method
Set the oven to approximately 120 degrees C with a rack around half way up (or down depending on your philosophy in life)
1. So, first, you want to chop up your veggies, preferably into reasonably small cubes (or similar shape). I always find carrots and leeks easiest if you peel them, wash them then cut them in half once lengthways and once accross the middle then chop from there. As leeks are layered (like onions...and ogres) you'll probably end up with reasonably thin pieces but that's fine. It's all for the flavour!
2. With the onions and garlic chopped small, heat some oil up in a deep casserole type dish or saucepan, adding the onion first followed a minute or so later by the garlic on a medium/low heat. Keep watch on these cheeky cubes of flavour because they burn easily - I recommend a wooden spoon to constantly keep the pieces moving and get them all covered in the olive oil without burning.
3. Once these have had a bit of time to soften (but not brown) chuck in the carrots and leeks (as these will take longer) and then the mushrooms and mix all these lovely delicious veggies together. You can always add more oil too if needed.

4. Now the colourful healthier bits have started to soften (don't worry about them cooking fully, there's plenty of time for that) you can add the mince. Tip it all in there and break it up with the back of a spoon so that you don't have one big clump and as much of the meat as possible is able to be reached by the heat and begin browning. The aim is to get the meat from that wonderful pink/red colour it starts as to a grey/brown shade...tasty eh? Once you've hit that point, you can now chuck in some seasoning: salt, pepper, a generous handful of mixed herbs, all that melarky and toss it all around. 
5. So now, you should have a lovely smelling dish of vegetabley, meaty mix that probably doesn't look very saucy. Do not fear, my child! It is time to add the chopped tomatoes and all the nommy juices that come with it. Tip it all in there and give it a stir. You can now afford to turn up the heat a tad and allow the mix to start simmering. 

6. As it is doing so, boil the kettle, unwrap one of those crumbly Oxo cubes and create some stock in a jug or mug. When the stock cube has dissolved (or nearly dissolved) you can tip this extra liquid into the pan - use your judgement on this one though, if the sauce already seems quite liquidy, don't feel the need to bung the whole darn lot of stock in there. Chill. Put it to the side and drink it later with a biscuit...
7. Place the lid on your pot, bring the sauce to a simmer and, when gently bubbling, place the pot in the pre-heated oven with the lid on for approximately 1 hour...depending on how hungry/impatient you are. 
8. At the 15 minutes to go mark, you can now put on a pan of water to boil, add some pasta (of any shape and size) and wait. Once cooked, you can remove the pot from the oven, dish a bowl or two of pasta up, add a spoonful of meaty, tomatoey goodness on top, grate some parmesan and...........

Buon Appetito!

Spanishy...Food?

So I love Spanish food. If I had to choose anywhere or any cuisine I wanted to eat at for my final meal...and if Carluccios no longer existed, it would be at a tapas restaurant somewhere. Anywhere. Tapas. I'd make sure we had Padron Peppers and Chorizo is a must. As my last meal, I'd also be allowed olives so that would be fab...and maybe a tortilla (Spanish Omlette - not the flatbread) and...Oh i don't know! Just bring me everything on the menu! And bring it fast.

You get the drift.

Anyway, the other day I was walking down Portobello Road looking at all the vegetable stalls and stocking up for the meals ahead when I spotted...A Spanish supermarket! Yes, that's right, a supermarket filled to the brim with Spanish treats. A whole charcuterie section with serano ham and chorizo, an olive bar filled with pot after pot of those delicious nibbles and many, many other tasties. Well, I couldn't exactly walk in and then leave without buying anything, could I! That would just be rude. So I bought one of those long Chorizo Sausages mostly used for cooking as well as a packet of Padron Peppers! Mmmmm.

That night I got creative.

Chickeny, Spanishy...Food?

Ingredients
2 Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Garlic Granules
1 Lemon 
Mixed Herbs
Salt + Pepper
Potatoes (for mashing)
Chorizo
4 Padron Peppers (optional)
Spinach
A Handful of Sage Leaves
1 Vegetable Stock Cube

Method
1. So the first step is to marinate the chicken because, as you know by now, I like to do this. Pour a generous amount of olive oil, a dash of soy sauce, a sprinkle of herbs and another sprinkle of garlic granules, a squeeze of lemon juice  and some salt and pepper into a bowl and mix the chicken thighs around. You can even squeeze the lemon over the thighs too just to ensure those juices are covering the meat. Cover up the bowl and leave while you either prepare other things or...have a bath...or...your choice.
2. Potatoes take quite a while I find so I always like to put these on early. Chop them up into smallish piece...quarters if you will and place in a pan of cold water. Put the pan on the heat with the lid on and allow to boil. You can continue with other things while they're a-cooking.
3. The only real preparation needed for the rest of the dish is chopping up your chorizo. You want your pieces reasonably small. Bitesize if you will. If you lack a Spanish shop in your local vicinity, most supermarkets will sell packets of chopped/cubed chorizo in their cold meats section, so you can always purchase these. 
4. Once the chicken has had time to marinate and abosorb those delicious flavours (nommm), heat up a little bit of oil in a deep frying pan and place the thighs, skin-side-down on the heat. Your aim is to crisp up the skin a bit but not to burn it and not to cook the chicken completely through. While they're browning, you can also  squeeze over some more lemon juice and add the two lemon halves to the pan. 
5. Now the chicken has started cooking, you can remove them from the top, place them on a tray with a splash more olive oil and some of the juices from the pan and put them in the middle of the oven at around 170-180 degrees. These will need another 30 minutes or so but keep checking them. My method for chicken is to use a knife and fork (wash with hot water after just in case) to cut into the middle of the thigh and check its colour. If any pinkness is visible, it needs more time. 
6. So, the chicken is in the oven and you have a frying pan on the heat with some lemon floating around. Now you can start dealing with other bits. Chuck into the pan your chorizo pieces and the padron peppers and give the chorizo time to release its flavours and the padron peppers time to brown and blister (looks how you would imagine) slightly on the outside. Padron peppers really need salt to make them lose their bitterness which is why I say optional...I think next time, I probably wouldn't use them but feel free to give it a go!
7. When the potatoes are ready (you'll know by poking them with a knife and feeling it go through easily), drain them, tip them back into the saucepan with a generous lump of butter, some salt and pepper and a dash of milk and get your mashing skills on. Your aim here is to have as few lumps as possibly although that's not vital as you shall seeee later.
8. Potatoes done, chicken nearly ready, pour the mash into the frying pan with the chorizo (and peppers), tip in a hefty amount of spinach leaves (because we all know how much they shrink now, don't we!), a bunch of sage leaves and give it a mix. The potatoe will absorb the juices and the flavours and become all soft and yummmmy. Make sure the spinach can reach the heat though so that it cooks properly. 
9. Now you can add some stock. I've said this before but there are two ways of doing this. Either you can make it beforehand, placing a stock cube in a cup or jug and adding boiling water, allowing it to dissolve or you can just crumble a dry stock cube into the mix. Take your pick! Both will add some delicious flavours to your meal. 
10. Now you've got your slightly soupy, potatoey, chorizoey mix thing, you can take your chicken thighs, all nicely cooked through and full of flavour and serve your dish. I made it so it was like a bed of spinach and chorizoey mashed potato with the chicken thighs served on top but go with your imagination. The most important thing is that you....

Enjoyyyyy!...Buen Provecho!

Yoohoo, It's Time For Stew!

Oh Dear God. I must be really tired to have honestly written that title but oh well. It's all fun and games really and you know you love my way with words.

So, as you can probably, hopefully, unless you don't know what the word means, tell, I made a stew. Now, I tried to do this last week and sadly made the mistake of leaving it on the heat for far too long so that by the time I got back to it, it was burnt to a frazzle...and I mean it, the pot had to be thrown away...there was no way we could have saved it...I'm a safety hazard, honestly. DON'T DO THAT AT HOME, KIDS!

Yet

As we are taught incessantly from the time we can walk: 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again'. So I did...and this happened. Enjoy!

Not Burnt, Just The Right Cookedness, Beef Stew...Thing

Ingredients:
450g Lean Diced Beef
Soy Sauce
Garlic Granules
Chorizo (I bought one large chorizo which I cut up into smaller pieces but you can get mini ones in your average supermarket)
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Large Carrots, 4 medium carrots, many little carrots (carrots...)
1 Large Leek (see above about carrots)
A Handful (or more) of Mushrooms
A Handful of Sage
2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
2 Oxo Beef Stock Cubes
Olive Oil + Salt and Pepper (Seasoning in general)

Method:
If your oven takes a while to warm up, I suggest turning it on before you start. Put it on around 130, preparing the dish while it heats up.
1. So first of all, you want to marinade your beef for as long as you can (although with mine, I was in a bit of a rush so I didn't leave it at all, but if you can, do!). Pour a dash...or two of soy sauce into a bowl, add some salt and pepper and any other seasoning (I used garlic granules and some Thyme) and chuck in the diced beef. Get your hands...or a spoon if you really want, in there and give it a mix. While that's marinading...or...stewing...ha! Prepare the veg, and chorizo, basically cutting them into reasonably small slices or chunks depending on your preference.
2. Once you're happy with the time you've left your beef to marinade, pour some olive oil into a deep pot and allow to heat up. Once it's hot (you can tell by looking, don't touch...duh), tip in the beef . Depending on how much you want, you may want to do this in batches. I didn't, but it probably would have sped up the process. You just want to get the meat so it has coloured but not too much as you will be slow cooking it later.
3. Once the meat is done, remove the pieces and place them in a separate bowl or on some paper towel while you do the rest. Using the same pan, now with additional meat juices (but you may want to add more olive oil) throw in the onion, allowing to soften, then the garlic, then the carrots and leeks and, eventually - once the slower veg have had a head start - add the mushrooms. If you want to add the bonus of my delicious chorizo, now is the point to add that too. 
4. Give the veg a stir, making sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pan or begins to burn, adding more olive oil if needs be. Give it a taste (none of it will kill you, think of yourself as releasing your inner rabbit) and once all cooked to a reasonable degree (as with the meat, it is being cooked more later so don't worry too much) turn down the heat.
5. Now you can add the meat back to the pan. Mix all your ingredients up and allow those juices to flow. Once everything's combined, you can pour in the chopped tomatoes - you can also add some fresh ones if you like as long as they're peeled and cut up small but this isn't vital. 
6. Give it all a stir and throw in the sage leaves to just boost that flavour content a bit. Take your 2 oxo cubes and either crumble them straight into the pan dry and mix the stock in, or boil the kettle and make the stock itself in a separate jug before you add it.
7. Now, you can have another taste, altering the seasoning to your preference before putting the lid on and bringing it to the simmer - basically, wait for it to start to bubble gently, if it's pouring out of the lid and onto the floor creating a health and safety hazard, you've gone too far. 
8. Once it's reached this optimum simmering point and the oven has reached the right temperature, keep the lid on and place it roughly half way up/down on a rack. 
9. Now, you can simply sit back and wait for 1.5-2 hours, tasting on occasion, until you feel the meat has cooked enough and isn't chewy...you could do the washing up while you wait or, if you're like me, you could leave that and just watch some youtube videos and read some blogs...take your pick. The finish point is when the meat is tender and yummy...the official, technical term. 
10. Take out, and serve with either pasta (tossed in some olive oil if you want to be all fancy pants like I did) or maybe some potatoes. I, luckily, had enough for leftovers twice so got to try both combinations and both were delicious. 

Have fun you! Enjoy that Stew!

Oh dear...I really do need to stop.

Happy eating.

One-Pot For The Lot (and a plate)

So, you may have noticed by now that I have a great fondness for just seeing what happens when I throw a whole load of tasty ingredients onto the heat. You have? Well good,because here's another example. I just looked at what I had. I knew I wanted to make something warming because it was super nippy outside yesterday - I'm not a socks type girl and I'm pretty confident I couldn't feel my toes a lot of the time - and I wanted to use some of the chicken I had in the fridge. As the title suggests, I even managed to made this dish largely using just one pan (excluding the bowl I used to marinade the chicken and the plate I used mid-way through...oh and the bowl I used at the end.....anyway). This, dear readers and cookers, was the result:

Soupy Chickeny Spinachy Goodness

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

For the Marinade:

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Garlic Granules

Mixed Herbs

Salt + Pepper

For the Rest:

Half an Onion

1 Garlic Clove

1 Carrot

A handful of mushrooms (or two or...y'know, however many you want)

Spinach

Chicken Stock

White Wine

 Method:

1. Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a bowl, add a dash of soy sauce and however much garlic and mixed herbs you'd like for flavouring, grind in a some salt and pepper and give it all a mix. This dear chefs of mine, is your marinade.

2. Take the two chicken breasts and place them both in the bowl, using your hands to mix them around and making sure both sides have benefited from all those lovely flavours. Cover the bowl (tea towel, t-shirt, mum's favourite serviettes) and leave for an hour or so while you go off and do something else or while you prepare the other ingredients (always a good time-saver and makes you seem all professional too).

3. Chop up the vegetables (onion, garlic, carrot and mushrooms) into reasonably small pieces to add to the dish later. 

4. Heat up a deep frying pan or wok. and once hot, being all skillful and whatnot, tip some of the marinade into the pan as your frying agent. Once that is hot and sizzling, chuck in the two chicken breasts. Once one side has coloured (not too brown), flip the chicken to cook the other side. I sometimes find with quite thick chicken breasts, the best way to get them to cook through quickly is to cut a slit down the middle, either along or across so the heat gets inside more easily. Don't panic too much though.

5. Once the 2 pieces of chicken are reasonably well cooked, take them off the heat and onto a plate. Using a sharp knife (and a fork but not your hands because it's hot silly!) cut up the chicken breasts into strips or chunks, or basically whatever shape and size you want. Once they're in smaller pieces, throw them back on the heat, tossing them around until you can see they're cooked through (but still nice and juicy, no one likes dry chicken now, do they)

6. Now your chicken is cooked, you can put the pieces aside on a plate or on some paper towel. whatever floats your boat really. Keeping the pan on the heat, and still with the juices leftover from the chicken, tip in your onion and stir on a medium heat until soft (not burnt) and then add the garlic. Once these have had a bit of time to heat up, throw in the carrots, allowing approximately 10 minutes more than the mushrooms to get a head start on cooking, and finally add the mushrooms.

7. Now that all the veg are in the pan, spend a bit of time stirring them and moving things around just to prevent anything starting to burn but allowing them to all cook through and soften (have a taste! Yumm). 

8. Once they're all cooking nicely, you can add the chicken back. Give it all a thorough stir and mix it all together. Leave that to do it's thanggg and boil the kettle (no, not for a cuppa, we don't have time for trivialities, we're professional cooks). Once boiled, pour into a cup or a jug and add a chicken stock cube (of course, if you are prepared enough to already have some chicken stock you made earlier, then use that by all means!). Give it a stir, break up the cube and allow time to dissolve.

9. While that's going on, tip in some white wine to your pan (a capful or..three) and allow to evaporate.

9. Once the chicken stock is ready and the pan mixture is all...mixed, tip in the stock so that you're fry-up has become a yummy, chickeny soup.

20. Finally, throw in a generous handful of spinach leaves and allow to shrink and cook in the soup. Keep them moving and submerge them in the liquid to stop them burning and to prevent any raw leafy bits remaining. Check the soup for seasoning. pour into a bowl, and serve.

Delish!!

Sausagey, Spinachey, Pasta...y?

So, a couple of years ago, I went to my aunt's house where there was a family gathering being held. With her family alone consisting of 7 offspring and that's before you then add partners of offspring...and my family...well...lets just say, a lot of food was needed. The main dish was to be a fish pie however, as is appreciated by many, this isn't always a first choice option and especially, if, like me, you're not a great fishy fan. I may be singing it in choir but I personally disagree that 

'Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me'...sorry Sebastian. 

So, as an alternative, my cousin Eloise had produced a delicious pasta dish with the help from our good friend Jamie Oliver. Many things happened over that lunch time (including a little incident involving the fish pie on the floor and terracotta chips in peoples pies...don't worry Felix, we won't go further with that tale of woe) but one of the most important was me going away with that delicious pasta recipe that can be found here!

Since that lunchtime, I have found myself frequently recreating that dish, never as perfectly as Eloise but still very enjoyably. End results have varied and I will say there have been many incidences where I've come away, once again, persuading myself that I must work on my chilli quantities...but that's of no consequence. The point is, it's a tasty dish but today, yes, this very day, only moments ago, I finished a bowl of a slightly varied version of this delectable dish and here, I shall inform you of what I did. 

Proper Blokes' Sausage Fusilli...or is it?

Ingredients:

Sausages (I used 3 herby pork sausages from good ol' Sainsbury's)

Fusilli Pasta (Although, when I looked in my cupboard, I only had a small amount left as well as the last remains of some pasta bows...so I just mixed them up...I know, wild!)

1 Garlic Clove

Mushrooms

Mixed Herbs

Chilli

White Wine

Spinach

Method:

1. Chuck the pasta into a pan of boiling water, turn down the heat slightly and allow to boil slowly

2. Take the sausages and using some scissors, or if feeling risky, a knife and poke a whole in one end of each. Squeeze out the sausage meat from the casings and into a bowl...or wherever you want to while you do the next step...it's your kitchen after all.

3. Drizzle some olive oil into a deep heavy-bottomed (frying) pan giving it time to heat up. Then tip the sausage meat in using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat so it's not all in great, big clumps...you know what I mean?

4. Allow the meat to brown slowly before adding the crushed (or chopped) garlic into the mix. Give it a quick stir and then throw in some chopped mushrooms. Allow these to cook through.

5. Give the mix a quick taste once it's all cooked through enough. If you think it needs more seasoning, now's the time to sprinkle in some more mixed herbs and, if brave, and better at judging quantity, possibly some chilli but be careful.

6. Pour in a dash of white wine and allow the pan to sizzle (and possibly spit so I suggest standing back) and the liquid to reduce. 

7. Finally, throw in some spinach leaves, stirring them around the pan allowing them to shrink and cook but not to burn (nobody likes a burn spinach leaf now do they?). Drain your pasta leaving a little of the cooking water over and pour the pasta and liquid into the frying pan. Give it a stir and a mix and a little bit of Monica in my life, a little bit of  Erica by my side......actually ignore that last bit. Maybe a little bit of Parmesan though, if you're feeling like it.

8. Into the bowl anddd

You're finished! Yum yumm!

(You can thank me later)

Some Pasta Banta

So last night, I felt like making something random. Throwing some pots, pans and pasta onto the heat, chucking in some veg and some other tasty nibbles, a dash of seasoning and tossing it all together...so I did. My ingredients were just based on things that I had in the fridge and that I couldn't imagine using for any other dish. I didn't particularly think through the flavour combinations but I've gotta say, whatever I did, it worked. It tasted pretty damn yummy. Feel free to have a go and let me know what you think!

Creative-and-Querky-Pasta-Related-Name-For-This-Dish

Ingredients:
Pasta (shape and size of your choosing, I used Farfalle...aka, the bows)
1 Garlic Clove
Mushrooms (Mine were some of those nice pots of mushrooms you can buy around and about in salad bars or near the olive section of a market. Cooked and dressed in olive oil with some chili)
Artichoke Hearts (I have a little bit of an obsession, much to the distress of my tummy, so feel free to ignore this)
Sage Leaves (lurvv sage)
Parma Ham (2 slices torn up)
Cubed Chorizo 
Vegetable Stock
A dash of flour


Method:
1. Place the pasta in a pan of boiling water, turn down the heat and allow to cook while you prepare the sauce (or whatever this particular concoction could be called)
2. Chop up the garlic clove to any size you prefer and chuck into a  reasonably deep pan with some olive oil
3. Once the garlic has browned a little (do not burn!), throw in the mushrooms, once again chopped to a preferred size. If, like me, you managed to find some nice ready dressed mushrooms, feel free to drizzle some of the additional dressings or bits and bobs into the pan
4. If you have chosen to go for the artichoke heart direction, now is the time to chop these up, or pull off the leaves and throw them into the mix. Give things a stir.
5. Take 2 or 3 sage leaves and rip these up, off the stems and into the pan allowing to soften and for the delicious flavour to seep into the other ingredients
6. You can now add the meaty bits if you like. I chose Parma Ham and some chopped up chorizo that I had left over in the fridge
7. Once these have been given a chance to heat up, it's time to add the stock. If you're lucky and have some delicious and flavoursome home-made vegetable stock available, feel free to use this but if, like me, you haven't got round to that little creation yet, just throw in one them good ol' stock cubes and add a dash of warm water. Allow time for the stock to dissolve and give the pan a stir. 
8. Finally, depending on your desired thickness of sauce, you can add a sprinkle of flour to give a little more...um...something fancy seeming to the whole affair. One more stir, drain the pasta, throw it in the pan, give it a mix and a taste and perhaps anther season (as you probably know by now, I like my garlic, so always up for a dash more), some salt and pepper, possibly even some Parmesan if ya like and...

Ta daaa!

Reuse your Food

Now when it comes to eating, small helpings are not something I take notice of. In most cases, when I cook something, even if it seems like I have prepared a lot of food, I will always find myself hungry and able enough to consume the entire saucepans worth...with room for a chocolate something or another for afters, of course. However, since I have started living by myself more and with the mindset of a student but without the loan, I am trying to save more on my food shopping. Trying to be more inventive with my recipes and doing my best to leave leftovers. Yesterday was probably my first successful attempt so I thought I would just pop it here. It's not experimental, not new and creative but whoever said that was part of the judging criteria?

Note: These recipes are based on me cooking for myself and myself only but as I mention above, for some that may mean these feed an army. Feel free to be flexible.

Beef Burgers, Potatoes and Spinach (basically a list of food but simply stating the truth)

Ingredients:

Burgers

Beef Mince (500g)

1 large Onion (any colour, I chose white)

A dash of milk (or some other binding agent e.g. breadcrumbs or flour)

Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Granules and Mixed Herbs

Olive Oil (for cooking)

Potatoes

Potatoes (duh!)...I used baby salad potatoes, don't ask why, just get the little ones

Olive Oil

Garlic Granules (yes, I do have a bit of an obsession with garlic, I know)

Mixed herbs (optional)

Spinach:

Spinach

Garlic Gra...only kidding, I think that's quite enough garlic for one meal

Method:

1. To make the burgers, chop up the onion into small cubes/pieces and throw into a bowel with the mince meat

2. Chuck in the seasoning and a dash of milk (other binding agents are available) and then get your hands in there! Squidge it all together, break up the mince and make sure all the seasoning is mixed into every corner (curve? bowls don't have corners...)

3. Tada! You have yourself some lovely flavoursome Mince. Now here is where you transform them into the delicious burgeriness that we want for our dinner. Take a handful (as big as you wish your burger to be) and mold it into a round patty shape.  You can make as many as you like but since my point of this post is to give ideas for leftovers, try and leave a little over)

4. Heat the oil in a frying pan allowing it time to get pretty hot...don't touch it to test..bad plan. Once hot enough, put your burger(s) - I made 2 - into the pan and allow to cook, turning after a 2 minutes or so to stop burning. If you allow both sides to brown and then reduce the heat, you can leave the burgers to slowly cook through to the middle while you prepare the veg.

5. For the potatoes, take 5 or 6 and place them in a pan of cold water, bring them to the boil and allow to cook until poking them with a knife shows that they are softish

6. Once cooked, remove from the heat, drain and rinse with cold water to make them easier to handle without crying. Place them on a chopping surface and halve each small potato.

7. Heat some more olive oil in a frying pan and chuck in the potatoes. You can then add the garlic or herbs or whatever flavouring you wish and some simple salt and pepper. 

8. Meanwhile, steam/cook however you wish, some spinach (other vegetables are available) and season

9. Once the burgers are cooked to your preferred level, you have the option to tip the par-fried potatoes into the frying pan to allow them to absorb some of those yummy burger juices. 

10. Serve neatly and prettily (of course) onto a plate and..breathe!

Ta da!

Now!

We ain't done yet! If you followed my little line of instruction, you will have left some of your raw mince mix over for another day, to save on the pennies and all that. 

note: don't leave the mince more than 24 hours otherwise it might not taste very nice and could lead to an unhappy tum

Ellie-May's Pasta Bolognese 

Ingredients:

Leftover Mince Meat (already seasoned and all)

Olive Oil

3 Small Tomatoes 

One Oxo Beef cube (or other beef stock)

Mushrooms (optional)

More Seasoning 

Pasta (of your shape choice, I personally chose Fusilli)

Parmesan Cheese

Method:

1. Cut a slit in each of the tomatoes and place in a bowl of hot water, from the tap or (if you really wish) from the kettle. Wait a few minutes for the tomatoes to start peeling from the slits. Remove from the bowl and peel each tomato as much as you can (whatever you do DO NOT PANIC if not all of the skin..or any in my case..comes off, some people just like their tomatoes peeled. Chop them into quarters and each quarter into halves and each half into...halves (is that 8ths?...) and leave aside for a minute.

2. Heat some olive oil in a big(ish) pan and wait until hot. Tip the Beef mix into the pan and break up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. You can keep mixing as it browns to stop anything from becoming stuck to the bottom of the pan.

3. Meanwhile heat up some water in a saucepan with a dash of salt and, once boiling, add the pasta and reduce the heat.

4. Returning to the Bolognese, now the beef has browned a little, add the chopped tomatoes and give the saucepan a stir. Reduce the heat and allow the tomatoes to soften and the juices to leek into the mix. You can break the pieces up further with the back of a spoon or with a knife if you wish.

5. It is at this point that you can then add some additional ingredients if you wish. I love mushrooms so chopped 3 up small button mushrooms up and threw them in, allowing them to cook through. Other ingredients could be some cubed carrot pieces, some chopped spinach, perhaps some celery slice? Be creative. 

6. Finally, crumble up your beef stock oxo cube into the pan (or pour in your stock) and give it a stir allowing the flavours to be absorbed. Grab a teaspoon and have a taste. If you feel it needs more seasoning, chuck it in! Drain the pasta, pour it into the pan with the mince, toss it around and serve with some Parmesan on top. 

Yummm!

Remember! Cheap Eats = Tasty Treats...or something equally cheesy

Enjoy! 

Leeky Carrots

Are you one of those, like my mother, brother and myself who groan a little internally when presented with a dish of carrots as the accompaniment to a meal? Do you look at those orange sticks/cubes/disks and think: 'What are you here for? What do you want with me?'. Well, your troubles are over my friend (as long as you don't feel the same about leeks, but c'mon, who does?? Leeks are wonderful. They also changed my view of carrots entirely, so here you go):

Serves about 3 people but, once again, it depends on your appetite and quanitites can always be changed.
Ingredients:
4 large carrots - sometimes I've had the luck of finding carrots in a local market of various colours, including purple (they were normal I swear) making for a very bright and colourful dish
3 large(ish) leeks - with the (flarey) ends chopped off
Salted butter

Cook in a saucepan with a lid that fits (it seems obvious but if you've seen our collection, you'd understand this does need emphasising)
1. Chop the leeks and carrots Julienne style - now I shall explain this further because I had no clue when I first did this and I did just have to google the term when writing this to check:
Leeks: for each leek, cut along it lengthways so that both halves have a flat side and a cuved side. Place each half flat side down and chop each length in half to make them easier to deal with. Now, chopping lengthways, and with each chop as close to the last one as possible, create mathstick (or very thin) pieces of leek,
Carrot: As with the leek, it is easier if you chop each carrot along it's length and put it flat side down on the surface. If they are quite large, you can then chop them in half the other way to make them easier to deal with. Following the above method, start from one of the longer edges and chop the carrot into fine matchstick pieces (if easier, you can chop the carrot into batons and then slice them into thinner pieces from this position). 
2. Place a reasonably large knob of butter in the saucepan over a medium heat and allow to melt. Add the carrots and leeks.
3. Place the lid on the saucepan and allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes checking the vegetables occasionally and stirring to make sure no bits get burnt on the bottom of the pan - try to minimise this activity though as you don't want the lid to be removed too often.
4. Once the carrots and leaks have cooked and softened, you can remove from the heat and season more to your tasting

You should find that the flavour of the leeks has leeked (ha!) into the carrots producing a delicious (and much less carroty) taste. 

Yumm!

Tian

This is one of my favourite dishes to make. This one also happens to be vegetarian but that's just a coincidence. I'm often asked to whip this one up when my dad is doing a roast or we've got a veggie coming over for dinner. I could happily eat this as a dish on it's own. It's flavoursome, healthy and fun to make.

Quantities can be altered depending on the number of people being served

Serves about 4 people (depending on the size of your appetite)
Ingredients:
3 medium courgettes 
Half a cabbage and/or some spinach or chard
1 large onion (white preferably)
2 garlic cloves
2/3 eggs
2/3 slices of bread or a leftover end of a loaf and one more slice
Cheese (preferably chedder or gruyere but anything similar - a hard cheese - is good)
Nutmeg, salt and pepper for seasoning

Prepare in a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook in a vegetable dish

These are the dishes I have but a large saucepan is perfect and
any sort of ovenproof round or square dish for cooking

Preheat oven to 175C
1. Grate the courgettes - either by hand or in a food processor or magi-mix with grater attachment if you have such a thing. Place in a sieve or on some paper towel to drain the water out - I sprinkle some salt on at this point (although I've got to the point where it's automatic now and I can't remember why I do it)
2. Place the courgette/spinach/chard/other green vegetable of choice in a pan or steam to cook while preparing the other ingredients.
3. Chop the onion and garlic finely (crush the garlic if you prefer) and place in a heavy bottomed saucepan with some olive oil to soften but not brown. Keep stirring to stop any burning or food becoming stuck to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the grated courgette to the onions and garlic and the other greens when they are ready (note: nothing needs to be completely cooked through or soft as you will be cooking the dish in the oven later to cook further)
5. Stir the vegetable mix allowing everything to cook for around 5 minutes before removing from the heat and breaking the eggs into the dish. Continue to stir, binding the ingredients.
6. Season with salt and pepper and some grated nutmeg (flavouring to taste)
7. Make some breadcrumbs by placing the bread slices into a food processor and allowing them to break down into fine pieces. 
8. Add some grated cheese to the breadcrumbs or place some cheese in the mixer with the bread and mix further. Feel free to add some mixed herbs to this mixture.
9. Finally, pour the vegetable mix from the saucepan into the oven dish and scatter the breadcrumbs on top, spreading evenly across the surface. Place in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes or until golden on top.

Bon Appetit!

My Vegetarian Adventures

In my brief stint at university, I befriended a lovely girl. She helped me when I was stressed and she offered me numerous cups of tea when needed. Her only downfall*: She's a vegetarian...actually, as I write this, she has decided to become vegan but that is by the by.

As a result of this life decision, I have found myself recently put in the position of having to experiment in creating tasty vegetable dishes that I can provide when my friend comes to stay. Now, I am not a professional and these dishes were certainly not created with elegance in mind. They were made simply to taste good, to provide a warm meal after trecking from the underground in this frequently cold and rainy English weather and to fill any hole that may be present in the tummy.

When I cook, I tend to just experiment and 'go with the flow' so specific quantities and such are not something I focus on. I just go ahead and chop and throw and mix and serve, cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Feel free to give this one a go and tell me what you think:

Tomatoey, Soupy (not really but sort of) Goodness

Note: The tomatoes are a must to make the tomatoey goodness and onions are always good but when it comes to the greens or other veg, feel free to experiment. I've been known to chuck in some cubed courgette pieces (wild! I know!)

Ingredients:
Tomatoes (classic medium round jobbies)
1 large onion (white or red, whatever floats your boat) finely chopped
Mushrooms cut as small as you like 
Spinach (steamed or however you normally cook it - I just like to steam personally)
Pak Choi leaves (torn in half if very big e.g. the outside leaves)
One vegetable stock cube
Garlic (1 clove) or Garlic Powder
Optional: chopped tomatoes or whole tinned plum tomatoes

Method:
1. Cut a small slit from top to bottom in each tomato and place in a bowl of boiling water. Leave to soak for a few minutes.
2. Throw the onions into a deep pan or casserole dish with a dash of olive oil on a medium/low heat to soften (don't let them burn)
3. Add the mushrooms, then pack choi and spinach and allow the vegetables to cook and soften to personal preference
4. Meanwhile, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and you should see the skin has started to peel. Where easiest, use these areas to peel the tomatoes as much as possible (don't worry if it get's tricky, it's not the end of the world)
5. Chop the peeled (or not) tomatoes into quarters and then into thirds to produce smallish pieces and throw these into the pot with the vegetables allowing them time to soften and the juices to run (why not give it a stir too)
6. Grab your vegetable stock cube and drop into the pot pouring some boiling or warm water (not much but enough to cover the stock cube) and allow the stock to dissolve.
7. Stir and check the consistency of the mix. If you wish to add some tinned tomatoes or more stock, you can.
8. Finally, just add some crushed garlic or a dash or garlic powder, some salt and pepper and any other herbs you may like, give it a mix, a taste and ta daaa.
9. SERVE AND SMILEEE

*Not to be taken literally/seriously, I have nothing against vegetarians, it's simply a joke from someone with a great appreciation for a good steak or a rasher or three of bacon.

With a grumbly tummy,

Dear Julie and Julia

Dear Julie and Julia…or is it the other way round,

I watched your film today. The one where you, Julie, choose to work your way through your, Julia’s, cookbook. One word…or maybe two. Simply brilliant. Inspiring. As a 19 year old, currently on a gap year, aimlessly wandering her house wondering what to do with the next 7 months, this film has answered my questions. I will cook. As it happens, I spent two weeks at a cookery school just recently. Starting with a lasagne for two, two groups of budding chefs (and i) worked our way through a wonderful book of delicious recipes and ate beyond what we believed our stomachs could hold: more than once I insisted I would not eat again for days. I think the first time this was recited I jumped on a tube home and cooked myself a delicious burger…and more.

I've always known a kitchen. I've felt at home in a kitchen in one way or another for a long, long time. I have memories of being a lot younger, and smaller, than I am now and sitting in the kitchen of my Grandma’s bungalow on her tall, tall chair – or at least, a chair which at the time I believed to be tall – and waiting for whatever she happened to be cooking next. This was a time when bananas and custard was something I licked my lips over, no matter how many times I had it. Even now, having not had bananas and custard since those times, I still remember how much I enjoyed them. How excited I was to eat a bowl of yellow…stuff and the days before I became obsessed with chocolate puddings perhaps (if there was such a time).

Food is something that causes me both excitement and stress. When I know I love what I’m having or making, I have to really concentrate on not devouring it the minute it hits the plate, if not before. My dad suffers greatly from sloweatingitus – a rare but problematic condition which means that often by the time he’s sat down, had a sip of his wine and one mouthful of potato and put his knife and fork down for the first time of many throughout the meal, I (and often the rest of my family) have devoured our first helping and are attempting to hold out for seconds. This is not always the case, however, as this will only occur when I am confident of what my reaction will be to the food before me. The problems arise when I am presented with an alien plate, a dish I could neither recognize nor taste in my head…at this point I panic and find myself responding by dipping my fork the tiniest millimetre into it and then putting it to my tongue, a look of distrust and agitation written all over my face. To all those who have experienced this, I apologise profusely.

The point is, I know food. I am a lucky girl who has grown up in a house where everything that touches the plate is delicious. I've had the joy of eating fresh vegetables from our own garden…nothing to do with me (I have to make that clear in case my dad ever sees this letter you see). I’ve been surrounded by cooks since I can remember whether it be my mum, dad, brother, sister, grandma – although not so much now, sadly. If I had a reason to just cook all day every day with no concern over having to eat everything I make when I make it, I would. I’d love to just leap out of bed tomorrow morning and make something delicious followed by something else and so on. Yesterday, between getting home and eating one of my favourite meals cooked by my dad, I just decided, on the spur of the moment, to make a pesto – that’s what I do now you see, I make pesto.

That’s it. That’s all I really wanted to say. I basically wanted to tell you that I've moved from a strange obsession with bananas and custard to making pesto, just for fun, on a Wednesday evening….and I love it. I may not have a plan for the rest of this gap year but if there’s one thing I can be sure of, it’s that I’m going to cook, and my god, it’s going to be delicious!

Yours sincerely (and now rather hungrily),