Monday, 20 February 2012
Sweet Potatoes with Feta
Now that Tom is doing a company sponsored bike ride from Scotland to London in June (600 miles in 6 days!) we are seriously going to have to start eating well and exercising! So I'm experimenting with sweet potato recipes. Tonight I made baked sweet potatoes and added some feta to them. Then I made mom's roast veggie recipe without the parm and added mushrooms. Both Tom and I found it really filling and tasty.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
I made this chili last night but we had it for dinner tonight. It was tasty and different as it's a bit sweet. I didn't have dark chocolate so used the sugar. I like the paprika but think I would add beer instead of stock next time and some more fresh chilies. In England they put chili on baked potatoes or rice so we had it on a bit of rice. It's so nice coming home from work and having dinner already made! Note to self to do that more often.
561 ratings
This great chilli has to be one of the best dishes to serve to friends for a casual get-together
Recipe uploaded by
561 ratings
Recipe by
Difficulty and servings
Serves 4
Preparation and cooking times
Prep 50 mins - 1 hr 10 mins
Can be frozen
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 500g lean minced beef
- 1 beef stock cube
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 410g can red kidney beans
- soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice , to serve
- Prepare your vegetables. Chop 1 large onion into small dice, about 5mm square. The easiest way to do this is to cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel it and slice each half into thick matchsticks lengthways, not quite cutting all the way to the root end so they are still held together. Slice across the matchsticks into neat dice. Cut 1 red pepper in half lengthways, remove stalk and wash the seeds away, then chop. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
- Start cooking. Put your pan on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot (a little longer for an electric hob). Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, squidgy and slightly translucent. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
- Making the sauce. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using (see tip at the bottom), and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
- Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan or isn't drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
- Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat.
- Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.
A Mexican twist
Rather than add the teaspoon of sugar, you can stir in a small piece of chocolate (about the size of your thumbnail) when you add the beans. Any plain dark chocolate will do. Be careful not to add too much - you don't want to be able to identify the flavour of the chocolate.
Other ways to enjoy chilli
Serve it on a bed of plain, boiled rice, with a spoonful of soured cream on top. Pile it on tortilla chips and sprinkle it with grated cheddar. Wrap it up in a tortilla with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and guacamole for a great burrito.
Per serving
387 kcalories, protein 36g, carbohydrate 25g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 6g, sugar 1g, salt 2.32 g
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Toad in the Hole
I made this last night. Not exactly the healthiest but we had it with salad so it it evens out right? At least we didn't have potatoes with it like Tom said you usually do. It is a very easy, classic British dish. I'm going to try using the popover mix with it next time as its basically the same thing. Jamie Oliver adds fresh rosemary sprigs (instead of Thyme) which I bet would be good. Tom just wanted basic so I added a bit of dried herbs de provence. The onion gravy was so good I would make that for almost any meat dish. I used 1 red onion and added a bit of red wine to the recipe. Enjoy!
61 ratings
A British classic. Meaty sausages enveloped in crispy batter, plus, a special onion gravy to really top it off. We think it's better than mum's!
Recipe uploaded by
61 ratings
Recipe by
Difficulty and servings
Serves 4
Preparation and cooking times
Prep 20 mins
Cook 40 mins
Ingredients
- Make the batter: Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip flour into the large mixing bowl and stir in the mustard powder with a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, crack in the egg, then pour in a dribble of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating some of the flour, until you have a smooth batter in the well. Now add a bit more milk and continue stirring until all the milk and flour has been mixed together.
- The batter is ready: You should now have a smooth, lump-free batter that is the consistency of double cream. Tip it back into the jug you measured your milk in, for easier pouring later on, then stir in the thyme. Use scissors to snip the links between your sausages, then drop them into a 20 x 30cm roasting tin. Add 1 tbsp of the oil, tossing the sausages in it to thoroughly coat the base of the tin, then roast in the oven for 15 mins.
- Cook the batter: Take the hot tray from the oven, then quickly pour in the batter - it should sizzle and bubble a little when it first hits the hot fat. Put it back into the oven, then bake for 40 mins until the batter is cooked through, well risen and crisp. If you poke the tip of a knife into the batter in the middle of the tray it should be set, not sticky or runny.
- Make the gravy: Soften the onions with the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan for about 20 mins, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Sprinkle in the sugar for the final 5 mins. Add the spoonful of flour, then cook, constantly stirring, for 2 mins, so it coats the onions and there is no dry flour left. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Bubble for 4-5 mins to thicken, then season. Cut the toad in the hole into large wedges and serve with the gravy spooned over.
- EQUIPMENT: Large mixing bowl, measuring spoons, wooden spoon, measuring jug, scissors, 20 x 30cm shallow roasting tin, timer, knife, chopping board, large non-stick frying pan
Per serving
520 kcalories, protein 25g, carbohydrate 37g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 2g, sugar 11g, salt 2.22 g
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Yummy Breakfasts Crumpets
I made these a few weekends ago and its definitely one of my favorite breakfasts. I'm not sure if you can get crumpets in the US but I bet you could use english muffins or a thick slice of good bread. Brown sauce is yummy but not sure if we have an equivalent in the US. It's like A1 but without the spice. The chillis and maple syrup are key. Enjoy!
This cheeky little version of eggy bread is one of my favorite breakfasts – particularly if I've got a hangover! Brown sauce is great with the eggs but maple syrup is fantastic with the bacon, so take your pick. I got the idea of adding some chilli from a scrambled eggs dish I had in Italy – delicious.
Crack your eggs into a bowl and give them a little whisk with a small pinch of salt and pepper and most of the chopped chilli. Then heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon in a tiny amount of olive oil. Let it crisp up on both sides. Meanwhile, get your crumpets and really push them into the egg and chilli mixture. Turn them over a few times – they’ll soak it up like a sponge. Push the golden bacon to one side and tilt the pan so the fat runs into the middle. Add the crumpets to the pan and fry them for a few minutes until golden, then turn them over and fry them on the other side.
Serve the eggy crumpets topped with the crispy bacon, with a dollop of brown sauce or a drizzle of maple syrup. To finish, you can sprinkle over the extra chopped chilli, if you're a chilli freak like me. Perfect – heaven on a plate.
• 2 large organic eggs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
• 6 slices of good-quality bacon
• olive oil
• 4 round crumpets
• brown sauce or maple syrup, to serve
© David Loftus
eggy breakfast crumpets
servings
2
2
method
This cheeky little version of eggy bread is one of my favorite breakfasts – particularly if I've got a hangover! Brown sauce is great with the eggs but maple syrup is fantastic with the bacon, so take your pick. I got the idea of adding some chilli from a scrambled eggs dish I had in Italy – delicious.
Crack your eggs into a bowl and give them a little whisk with a small pinch of salt and pepper and most of the chopped chilli. Then heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon in a tiny amount of olive oil. Let it crisp up on both sides. Meanwhile, get your crumpets and really push them into the egg and chilli mixture. Turn them over a few times – they’ll soak it up like a sponge. Push the golden bacon to one side and tilt the pan so the fat runs into the middle. Add the crumpets to the pan and fry them for a few minutes until golden, then turn them over and fry them on the other side.
Serve the eggy crumpets topped with the crispy bacon, with a dollop of brown sauce or a drizzle of maple syrup. To finish, you can sprinkle over the extra chopped chilli, if you're a chilli freak like me. Perfect – heaven on a plate.
ingredients
• 2 large organic eggs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
• 6 slices of good-quality bacon
• olive oil
• 4 round crumpets
• brown sauce or maple syrup, to serve
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