Month: January 2017

Home style Onion Curry

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So I’m told this is a traditional curry by an old colleague. It tastes so flavoursome yet mild too so it’s great for little ones. 

Start by placing a large onion in a mini chopper along with 50ml of water then blend to form a paste.

Next dry fry a stick of cinnamon along with 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and teaspoons of fennel seeds (optimal – add 1/4 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes for about 30 seconds before adding the onion paste and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions brown and the water evaporates. Next add a crushed clove of garlic and some grated root ginger – approx the size of your thumb. Cook for another couple of minutes before adding 1 teaspoon of the following: sugar, turmeric and garam masala. 

Next add a standard sized tin of chopped tomatoes and simmer on a medium high heat for 8-10 minutes

Finally, add 8 diced skinless, boneless chicken thighs and 250ml of chicken stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. 

Serve with some steamed basmati rice

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Lasagna

~ rinaforster ~ Leave a comment

Ok so this recipe is not one of my particularly ‘fast’ recipes but it is delicious so thought I might include it

There are 3 components: the red sauce, the white sauce and the pasta sheets. 

For the Red sauce: Dice one onion and sweat in a pan on a medium heat with a little olive oil. After 5 minutes add a crushed glove of garlic and continue to stir for a couple of minutes before turning up the heat and adding 500g of mince beef. Brown the meat then turn the heat down, add a sprinkling of grated Parmesan, a teaspoon of dried basil, seasoning and a table spoon of tomato purée and stir for another couple of minutes before adding a tin of chopped tomatoes and a mug of beef stock. Stir well and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes whilst you make the white sauce. 

To make the white sauce: first melt 25g of butter in a pan then add 1 heaped tablespoon of plain flour and mix vigorously off the heat. Next return to the heat and slowly add 1 1/2 pints of milk a little at a time ensuring that you continue to whisk, slowly bring the mixture to the boil where it should start to thicken. Once thickened, add approx 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan, some seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs. 

Next start to construct the lasagna. You will need approx 15 sheets of dried lasagna pasta. 

Start by adding a ladle of the white sauce to the bottom of your lasagna dish. Next layer on the pasta sheet another ladle of the white sauce and follow with a heaped ladle of the red sauce, next add another sheet of pasta and then a ladle of white sauce ensuring the pasta is covered and then red sauce. You should aim for 3 layers of red sauce ending with a layer of pasta and the remaining white sauce poured all over the lasagna. 

Add a small sprinkling of grated cheese and bake in the over for approx 30 minutes on 190 fan 

Tomato and Thyme Cod

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This is definitely an after work dish, it takes 15 minutes but taste delicious

First dice an onion and sweat on a medium heat with a little olive oil for 5 minutes. Next add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a teaspoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of soy sauce and a teaspoon of dried thyme, continue to cook for a couple of minutes then add some seasoning, stir, then lay your fillets of cod on top. Cover the pan and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the fish is cooked and serve with some crushed garlic new potatoes or rice and some greens 

Breakfast Muffin

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Start your day with a yummy and filling breakfast! Eggs, spinach, salmon.. what’s not to like?

Start by toasting a breakfast muffin, meanwhile melt a teaspoon of butter in a pan then add 2 large handfuls of spinach, allow the spinach to wilt then season and turn the heat off. Next, poach an egg, – I can’t say I’m particularly good at this so I don’t have any tips but I generally stir a pan of boiling water to make a votex and then drop the egg in there and cook for 5-6 minutes. Whilst the egg is cooking begin to as assemble

First butter your muffin then add the wilted spinach, next add a few layers of smoked salmon and once the egg is done add the poached egg

Yum!

Fish Tray Bake

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Honesty! This dish is absolutely delicious and so simple to make my 3 year old boy made it! The first (main) meal he’s ever made! Well done Sammy!!

First add approx 20 young asparagus spears, next add 10 halved baby tomatoes, a quartered lemon (ok I had to chop this up for him!), a crushed garlic clove, a few leaves of basil, a couple of sprays of olive oil, 4 salmon fillets, 10 large raw tiger prawns, a few rashers of prosciutto and some seasoning. Give everything a mix and ensure the salmon fillets are skin side up then cook under a grill for 10 minutes. 

Voila!!!

Turkey Cottage Pie

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So it’s been a while and I promised my self I’d start blogging again in the new year so what better way to start than with a festive and healthy meal.  Turkey Pie is a healthy and lighter version of a family favourite – cottage pie. Turkey mince can be as low as 5% fat and yet it tastes great. 

Start by dicing one onion and gently fry this in a little olive oil.  Meanwhile dice a carrot and 1/2 a courgette and steam them in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften up then add to the pan along with a crushed clove of garlic. Fry these for another 5 minutes or so and then turn the heat up and add 500g of turkey mince and a splash of white wine, brown the mince then add one tablespoon of flour and stir then add approx a mug of chicken stock and seasoning if necessary. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. The sauce should thicken up. Meanwhile peel and dice 3 large potatoes, boil in a separate pan and once cooked remove approx 1/2 a potato before mashing the rest with a little butter and some seasoning. Assemble the pie in to a suitable pie dish with the mince on the bottom and the mash on the top, then grate the remaining 1/2 potato on top (this will give it a nice crispy top) and sprinkle with a little cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minute at 190 (fan) and serve with some veg.