Quick Fix Monday Supper

August 18, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This is really just a lazy cottage pie, the basic ingredients are the same, it’s just the execution that is slightly different. I use red skin potatoes but you could also use, butternut or sweet potato. If you have a pan that will go from the stove to the oven then make the dish straight into the pan it saves on cleaning up. The secret to the potato topping is a mixture of butter, salt, olive oil and crushed garlic you use to glaze them before baking.

Quick Fix Cottage Pie
Serves (In my house 2, base it on how much mince you would use per person)

Ingredients
– 1 large red onion, finely chopped
– 2 carrots, fine dice
– 500gms grass fed beef
– 2 tbs olive oil (4-6tbsp extra if you are using lean beef)
– 1 bay leaf
– 3-4 smallish sprigs thyme
– 150ml white wine (Beef/Veg stock if you don’t want wine)
– 1 can Italian plum tomatoes
– 1 tbsp tomato puree
– 2-3 red skin or general potato

Garlicky Potato Glaze
– 30gms butter
– 30mls olive oil
– 1 clove finely grated garlic
– 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C, I use the fan to help brown the potatoes quicker

Start by heating the olive oil in a heavy based pan. Once it is hot add the mince slowly so that the oil remains hot – scatter the mince don’t add one big piece. Don’t over stir the mince allow it to cook until it has developed some colour and gone brown, then turn it. Once the mince has been turned and begun to brown you can add the onions and carrot tot he mix. Allow the onions to cook till soften, now increase the heat and add the white wine. Allow the white wine to cook off before adding the roughly copped tomato and the bay leaf and thyme. You can add about 200mls water or stock at this point. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, before checking the liquid levels. The liquid should just cover the mince, this will result in a moist, but not watery result. Stir one last time. Remove from the stove.

Finely slice your potato into coin type shapes. Don’t go too thick, it will take too long to cook and the mince will dry out, or too thin, before the mince has cooked nicely the potato will start to break apart. About 0.5cm is about the right thickness. Layer the potato disks around the pan onto the hot mince, the disks should be resting on top of the mince and their top halves should be exposed and dry. In a bowl melt the butter then add the remaining ingredients to the glaze. Brush it onto the potato disks making sure to spread out all the garlic.

Bake in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, the potatoes should be fork tender but crisp on top. If it dries out you can add more stock to it. If after 25-minutes your oven hasn’t browned it nicely, pop the grill on for a few minutes to finish it off.

Yum! Wow!

July 8, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

We create our greatest meals not for money, or fame but for love! I am not talking about dinner party wow factor meals I am talking about suppers! The meal time whose purpose is to do so much more than just feed – supper is about a happy space at the end of the day, it’s about comfort and love. By example, Benjamin is my nephew, he inspires so much of the food I create. For him I want it to be healthy and natural, for his love of good food I want it to be tasty, for his mom to be able to reproduce it quickly and easily I want it to be simple and because of him you all get such great healthy quick easy recipes!

Take this cottage pie for example, will it change the world? Unlikely! Will it make my nephew smile? Definitely! So in my book that makes this a great meal created not with strange ingredients or foreign spices but simply with good ingredients and the magic of a 20-month old going “Wow!” every time you add anything to the pan and clapping when the bright yellow bowl is presented to him!

Grass Fed Beef Cottage Pie
Serves 4

– 400gms grass fed beef mince
– 4 tbsp olive oil
– 2 red onions
– 100mls beef/veg stock
– 6 carrots
– 120gms frozen peas
– 1 can organic plum tomatoes
– salt & pepper
– 2 bay leaf, whole
– 1 small sprig rosemary, whole
– 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
– 1 egg beaten, for egg wash
– 4-6 medium to large potatoes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. To start peel the potatoes and boil them in a large pot of salted water. If you are in a hurry cut larger potatoes into smaller chunks. Whilst the potatoes are boiling heat the olive oil in heavy based pan. Now add the meat to the pan, spreading it around, don’t stir it allow it to sit and caramelize before turning the meat. Using your wooden spoon break the meat into smaller pieces, once the meat has browned add the onions and allow them to cook till just softening.

Now add the stock and allow it to reduce a bit before adding the cut up vegetables (excluding the peas), herbs and the tomatoes. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes till done, then stir in the peas. While the meat is cooking prepare your mash potatoes!

To assemble spoon the meat into individual dishes, it should be thick and moist but not wet. Now spoon your mashed potato over the top, before brushing it with some beaten egg. Bake in the middle tray of the oven until golden brown and bubbling.

Toulouse Pasta Sauce

July 7, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This is one of those recipes that I love so much, based on one really incredible ingredient, quick and easy because the butcher, in this case, has done all the hard work by creating an incredible product.

Toulouse sausages are characterized by their distinct flavour, achieved by adding wine and garlic to ground pork, sometimes bacon is also added into the meat mixture. I used this sauce for pasta, but it is really delicious on a hot baked potato, or topped with a fried egg for breakfast. This is a slightly strange recipe because instead of using cream I add milk, 15 minutes before the sauce is done and allow it to all reduce away, leaving a sauce that is creamy without being creamy!

Toulouse Sausage Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 8 Toulouse Sausages, or any other pure pork sausage, removed from the casing
– 1 red onion, finely chopped
– 1 dry birds eye chili
– 250ml red wine
– 1 can plum tomatoes
– 200ml milk
– 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
– 2 tbsp Olive oil

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan. Once it is hot, add the sausage meat, and crumbled red chili – allow the meat to start to colour. As it is cooking, use your wooden spoon to break apart the sausage, don’t crumble it completely try to keep some of the texture. Once the meat is almost all browned, add the onions and thyme and allow them to cook till soft.
Increase the heat, add the red wine and allow it to reduce away, once it is almost all reduced add your tomatoes. Drop the heat and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. At this stage add your milk, it will seem like a lot of milk, but as the meat finishes slowly cooking the milk will reduce and leave a nice creamy tomato mixture. Allow the sauce to continue simmering for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid reduces too much add a drop more milk, if it looks too runny, increase the heat and allow it to reduce some more. Serve with a great organic gnocchi like the one from Angela’s Kitchen at Organic emporium topped with some grated parmesan.

Ginger Honey Teriyaki Pork with Cashews

June 30, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Calling this preparation is almost like cheating. Everything happens in one pan and you only need 4 ingredients to flavour your meat and veggies. The pork fillet is relatively inexpensive and has a low fat content, because of this the little pork medallions want to be cooked quickly till golden and then allowed to slowly cook in the sauce for a few extra minutes to get it tender, juicy and cooked.

Ginger Honey Teriyaki Pork & Cashews
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 800gms pork fillet, cut into 1-cm medallions (I work on 200gms per person if you have kids this is too much)
– 2 cm piece of ginger, peeled cut into tiny matchsticks
– 3 cloves garlic crushed
– 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
– 2 tbsp oil
– 400gms assorted veggies (brocolli; carrots; baby corn; green beans)
– 100gms raw cashew nuts
– 1 tbsp good honey
– 1/2 red pepper cut into fine strips

To start cut the pork fillet place it in a large bowl with the garlic, ginger, oil and teriyaki sauce, do not add the honey at this stage or the meat will burn. Allow to marinade for up to an hour but no less than 10 minutes. Remove the fillet medallions from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat some oil in a frying pan till hot then cook the medallions, about 4 minutes a side. Don’t move them too much, allow them to colour. Drop the heat and add the veggies, cashew nuts, remaining marinade with ginger and garlic in it, the honey and a few tablespoons of water.

Keep an eye on the pan and add water as you need it till the veggies are just cooked, add the water a little at a time. When the vegetables are cooked the liquid left in the pan should be thickened from the honey and teriyaki sauce, there is not a lot of gravy with this dish but because it it salty and sweet a little goes a long way. Serve with sticky jasmine rice.

One Dish Chicken Supper

June 24, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

One Dish Chicken Supper
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 2 skinless chicken breasts
– 100gms cherry tomatoes, halved
– 1/2 tbsp white balsamic
– 4 tbsp De Rustica Olive Oil
– 6 baby potatoes
– 2 basil leaves
– 1/2 tsp coarse salt
– black pepper

Start by microwaving your potatoes in a microwaveable dish for about 4-6 minutes or until just tender. While the potatoes are cooking put the tomato halves in the balsamic mixture. Now in a baking tray add the potatoes, olive oil, salt, tomatoes and a small knob of butter and place in a hot oven 200°C.
Bake for about 15 minutes turning once, the potatoes should crisp quickly and the tomatoes catch and start to lose their juices. Now add the chicken pieces and stir to coat in the lovely sauce being created. Put back in the oven and back for about 10-12 minutes turning once or twice.
Once the chicken is ready serve topped with the finely shredded basil.

Spicy Chicken Livers

June 19, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

Love them or hate them this is a quick simple way to enjoy chicken livers, they are equally delicious without the addition of the chili. To me the secret to good livers is pan frying them first the onions and bacon pieces, then when the livers have caramelised and crisped a bit around the edges, remove them, finish cooking your sauce, and then finally add the livers back to simmer to perfection in the sauce.

Spicy Chicken Livers
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
– 2 red onions, finely chopped
– 600 gms chicken livers, cleaned and trimmed
– 2 cloves garlic
– 2 tbsp flour
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 100gms streaky bacon, chopped
– 2-3 dried birds eye chili
– 100mls white wine
– 1 can peeled chopped tomatoes
– 100mls cream

Start by heating some oil in a frying pan, now add the chopped bacon pieces, crushed chili and onion, fry until the onion has started to soften and the bacon has started to colour. Dust the chicken livers in the flour, move the onion and bacon mixture to the side of the pan, and fry the livers on the other side of the pan. Don’t turn the livers to often, allow them to caramelise and develop some colour. Once the livers have browned on all sides remove them and set aside, keep warm.

Now add the white wine and garlic at the same time – deglaze the pan removing all the crispy bits. Now add the tomato and herbs and allow to cook until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Add the cream and the livers back into the pan, reduce the heat and simmer till the cream has reduced and the livers are cooked. Add the fresh chopped parsley and serve drizzled with some De Rustica Extra Virgin Olive oil, you want something that will add a light fresh pop at the end.

Country Style Chicken & Mushrooms

June 18, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

It takes about 15 minutes to make this meal including its side dishes from start to finish – for a reduced fat option you can use reduced fat cream and add about a third of the required cream only at the end of the recipe, and use plain stock instead to cook. If you don’t want to add the brandy for any reason add a tablespoon of verjuice to help the chicken and mushrooms caramelise.

Country Style Chicken & Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 600gms chicken breasts, cut into chunks and dusted with flour
– 1 red onion finely chopped
– 2 cloves garlic
– 30gms butter
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 60mls brandy
– 250gms brown button mushrooms
– 2 sprigs thyme
– 2 tbsp chopped parsley
– 400mls cream (reduced fat option 100mls cream)
– 100mls stock (reduced fat option 300mls stock)
– salt & pepper to season

Start by heating the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic, thyme and finely chopped onion and cook till starting to soften. Add the mushrooms and the chickens, make sure you have removed most of the flour. Allow this to start to brown, make sure it browns as this is where the dishes pale colouring comes from. Once the chicken and mushrooms have browned, add the brandy and deglaze the pan – BEWARE if the pan is hot the brandy may catch alight, don’t panic just leave the pan alone and let the flame burn out [When you add alcohol to a pan always add it from a seperate container and not the bottle, also do not hold the handle of the pan was you add the alcohol, if it explodes into flames you may give yourself a fright and pull the pan off the stove]. Make sure you loosen all those yummy bits. Now add the cream and half the stock if you are making it the full fat way, or alternatively add 200mls stock.

Allow the chicken pieces to cook about 6-7 minutes, the cream should have thickened by now, or if you are using stock most of the stock should have evaporated and you can add your splash of cream and let that reduce in a minute or so. Add your chopped parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or if you are being good eat it with crisp green vegetables.

3-Ingredient Fix

June 3, 2014 by TSJC 2 Comments

What could be easier than 3-ingredients, and yet what could be more delicious, that sweet spicey prawns, salty creamy halloumi and spicey chorizo. I usually serve these skewers with a simple salad but you could just as easily eat them just as is!

Spicey Prawn & Chorizo Skewers
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
– 8 large prawns, deveined
– 8 large chunks of chorizo
– 8 large chunks halloumi
– olive oil
– salt & pepper
– 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 1 tsp finely chopped chili
– finely chopped fresh parsley

To assemble use 2 prawns, 2 chunks of halloumi and 2 chunks of chorizo per skewer. Brush lightly with olive oil and then grill in a hot pan. Give about 4-6 minutes per side depending on your prawns.

Roasted Butternut & Gorgonzola Lasagne

May 26, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

It’s Monday so it’s number 4 in my lasagne a week challenge, don’t know which is more amazing, that I have eaten lasagne every Monday for 4-weeks and I am still loving it or that I have already been writing this page for four weeks! Tonight’s lasagne is a really simple one, and yet, from two simple ingredients it becomes one of the most delicious and indulgent.

Layer lasagne sheets with a well made bèchamel top that with small size chunks of roasted butternut, and sprinkle each layer with some Gorgonzola and more bèchamel. Make sure you use enough bèchamel or the lasagne might seem dry. To roast the butternut, cut a butternut into chunks, drizzle with olive oil and dot with butter. I add plenty of garlic and fresh thyme. Roast the butternut till crisply charred on the edges, I roast the butternut at around 200°C, so that it chars on the outside whilst still keeping its shape.

I like to get a fair amount of the Gorgonzola on the very top layer to give it a rich finish. Since the butternut and lasagne are both cooked it only takes around 20-25 minutes in a hot oven.

Giant spicey meatballs

May 22, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

This is the type of meal my mom would make when we had friends round for the weekend. The meatballs are only browned in the oil and then allowed to finish cooking in the sauce, because you aren’t turning them repeatedly you can make the meatballs without adding any extra binding agents. I like to add some chili to the meat mixture but if you are making it for people who don’t like the heat, leave it out they are still delicious.

Giant Spicey Meatballs
Serves 4

Ingredients
Meatballs
– 600g beef
– 1 medium onion, finely chopped
– 2 cloves garlic finely minced
– 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
– 1 free range egg (optional)
– 2 chili finely chopped
– salt & pepper
– 250ml oil
– 2 tbsp flour

Sauce
– 1 can cherry tomatoes
– 1 onion sliced
– 1 clove garlic
– 10 basil leaves, torn
– salt & pepper
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 cup red wine
– 200g mozzarella, grated

To start get your sauce on first. Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, before adding the finely chopped garlic and onion, allow this to cook for a few minutes, till the onions begin to soften. Now add the red wine, tomatoes and fresh herbs, reduce the heat and allow to simmer.

To make the meatballs combine all the ingredients except for the oil and flour in a bowl. Combine thoroughly and then divide the mixture into 4 large meatballs. Heat the oil in a shallow pan before dusting the meatballs with some flour, now gently place the meatballs in the pan and allow them to brown. Do not keep turning the meatballs or they will break apart. Once they have browned on both sides add them to the simmering tomato sauce. Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 15 minutes before removing the lid and cooking for a further 10-minutes. The sauce should be nicely mellowed and the meatballs juicey and fragrant. If you are using the mozzarella switch the heat off and then cover the meatballs with the cheese and allow it to melt in the residual heat.

You can eat these meat balls with mashed potatoes, or simply with some good crusty bread. I always give them a sprinkle of extra herbs, some grated Parmesan and a good slug of a great quality extra virgin olive oil.

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