A smoky and spicy accompaniment to chilli con carne, BBQ meats or a Mexican feast!
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 red onions, sliced or diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 700ml jar of passata
2 400g tins of mixed beans
100ml BBQ sauce
Cheddar cheese, grated
Olive oil
Fry the onion and carrot in a little olive oil until softened then add in the garlic and chilli and fry for another two minutes.
Add the paprika, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and cook until aromatic and fragrant.
Pour in the two tins of mixed beans (including the liquid they come in), the passata and the BBQ sauce.
Bring to the boil and cook until the beans are soft enough to break down with the back of a spoon in the pan.
Sprinkle over the grated cheddar cheese and either stir through or allow to melt over the top and serve.
These beans can be served straight away or frozen in portions to be thawed and reheated later!
Saturday 22 March 2014
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Moroccan lamb tagine
Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Lamb neck fillet
Moroccan tagine paste
Red onion
Garlic
Chilli
Honey
Passatta
Vegetable stock
Cut up the lamb neck fillet into bite size chunks. Marinade in two tablespoons of tagine paste for up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 160C.
Half the red onion, then cut each half into three segments, then layer on the bottom of a casserole dish or tagine pot. Crush two garlic cloves and cut up the red chilli into large pieces and add to the pot.
Add the lamb and drizzle over one teaspoon of honey. Pour in enough passatta and vegetable stock to just cover the top of the lamb.
Cook in the oven for two hours, stirring halfway through being careful not to break up the onion too much.
Serve with couscous.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Lamb neck fillet
Moroccan tagine paste
Red onion
Garlic
Chilli
Honey
Passatta
Vegetable stock
Cut up the lamb neck fillet into bite size chunks. Marinade in two tablespoons of tagine paste for up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 160C.
Half the red onion, then cut each half into three segments, then layer on the bottom of a casserole dish or tagine pot. Crush two garlic cloves and cut up the red chilli into large pieces and add to the pot.
Add the lamb and drizzle over one teaspoon of honey. Pour in enough passatta and vegetable stock to just cover the top of the lamb.
Cook in the oven for two hours, stirring halfway through being careful not to break up the onion too much.
Serve with couscous.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Penne with Chorizo & Creme Fraiche
An Italian pasta dish which uses Spanish ingredients to give a smoky-sweet taste. It can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta so is perfect for a quick dinner.
Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
150-200g penne pasta
150g chorizo, thinly sliced
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely shopped
1 tablespoon sherry/red wine vinegar
75-100ml creme fraiche
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, to serve
Cook the penne pasta as per packet instruction. It should take around 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic.
Add the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and reduce until there is almost no liquid remaining.
Before the shallots start to take on any colour, reduce the heat and add the chorizo to the pan.
Cook the chorizo until it starts to release its oil, then stir in the creme fraiche.
Add the chopped thyme, season then stir in the cooked, drained pasta with just a little of the cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
Serve with shavings of the parmesan cheese.
Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
150-200g penne pasta
150g chorizo, thinly sliced
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely shopped
1 tablespoon sherry/red wine vinegar
75-100ml creme fraiche
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, to serve
Cook the penne pasta as per packet instruction. It should take around 10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic.
Add the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and reduce until there is almost no liquid remaining.
Before the shallots start to take on any colour, reduce the heat and add the chorizo to the pan.
Cook the chorizo until it starts to release its oil, then stir in the creme fraiche.
Add the chopped thyme, season then stir in the cooked, drained pasta with just a little of the cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
Serve with shavings of the parmesan cheese.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Spicy couscous
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
255g couscous
400ml chicken/vegetable stock or water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 small dried chilli
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Salt
Butter
Olive oil
Bring the stock to the boil and in a separate pan, slowly fry the onion in the olive oil and butter without colouring.
In a mortar and pestle, crush the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, the chilli and a big pinch of salt.
Add the spices and garlic to the onion and continue to fry. They should be soft and sticky but not burnt or coloured.
Add the vinegar and sugar and reduce to a thick syrup.
Add the couscous and stir to coat with the mixture then ladle in the hot stock and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid has been soaked up.
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
255g couscous
400ml chicken/vegetable stock or water
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 small dried chilli
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Salt
Butter
Olive oil
Bring the stock to the boil and in a separate pan, slowly fry the onion in the olive oil and butter without colouring.
In a mortar and pestle, crush the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds, the chilli and a big pinch of salt.
Add the spices and garlic to the onion and continue to fry. They should be soft and sticky but not burnt or coloured.
Add the vinegar and sugar and reduce to a thick syrup.
Add the couscous and stir to coat with the mixture then ladle in the hot stock and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid has been soaked up.
Black-eyed beans with Spinach and Balsamic Vinegar
This can be served hot on its own or as a vegetable accompaniment to a meal such as roast pork, or at room temperature as a salad or antipasto.
Ingredients
340g black-eyed beans, soaked overnight
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
255g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the soaked beans and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are tender, then drain.
Fry the garlic in the butter and oil until golden then add the beans and spinach.
Fry until the spinach has wilted which should only take about a minute.
Season and add the balsamic vinegar, stir well and serve.
Ingredients
340g black-eyed beans, soaked overnight
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
255g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the soaked beans and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour or until the beans are tender, then drain.
Fry the garlic in the butter and oil until golden then add the beans and spinach.
Fry until the spinach has wilted which should only take about a minute.
Season and add the balsamic vinegar, stir well and serve.
North African Lamb with Chilli, Ginger and Chickpeas
170g chickpeas (soaked overnight if necessary)
1 large, firm aubergine, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 tin tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 lamb neck fillets, sliced into 2 inch pieces
4 medium/large chillis
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the cumin and coriander seeds with a big pinch of salt. Rub the mix into the lamb pieces.
Heat a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the lamb.
Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and add the diced aubergine . Fry, along with the lamb for a further 2 minutes, keeping everything moving.
Add the chilli and ginger and continue to cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a minute, still stirring constantly so it doesn't colour too much.
Add the vinegar and tomatoes, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Add the chickpeas and simmer for a further 5 minutes. The tomatoes should have created a thick sauce, while the aubergine should be soft and sweet.
Season as necessary and stir in the chopped fresh herbs.
Serve with couscous.
1 large, firm aubergine, diced into 1 inch cubes
1 tin tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 lamb neck fillets, sliced into 2 inch pieces
4 medium/large chillis
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Using a pestle and mortar, pound the cumin and coriander seeds with a big pinch of salt. Rub the mix into the lamb pieces.
Heat a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the lamb.
Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and add the diced aubergine . Fry, along with the lamb for a further 2 minutes, keeping everything moving.
Add the chilli and ginger and continue to cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a minute, still stirring constantly so it doesn't colour too much.
Add the vinegar and tomatoes, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Add the chickpeas and simmer for a further 5 minutes. The tomatoes should have created a thick sauce, while the aubergine should be soft and sweet.
Season as necessary and stir in the chopped fresh herbs.
Serve with couscous.
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Carrot and coriander soup
A delicious, healthy vegetarian soup. The cumin and coriander give it a fresh yet warming flavour, perfect all year round!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
8-10 carrots, diced
1 onion, sliced
1.5 pints hot vegetable stock
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly round black pepper, to season
Fry the onion in a little vegetable oil until it begins to soften. Add the diced carrots, stir in with the onions and continue to fry gently for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, the ground coriander and the ground cumin and stir well.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the carrots are cooked.
Add almost all of the chopped fresh coriander, season, allow to cool then blend until you have the consistency you like.
Return the soup to the pan, reheat, then add the remaining fresh coriander before serving.
Alternatively, try roasting the carrots with a teaspoon of cumin seeds before adding them to the soup. Simply drizzle the carrots with a little olive oil, season and mix with the cumin seeds then roast in a hot oven for 15 minutes. This will give the soup a deeper, warmer flavour compared to a fresher flavour in the original recipe.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
8-10 carrots, diced
1 onion, sliced
1.5 pints hot vegetable stock
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly round black pepper, to season
Fry the onion in a little vegetable oil until it begins to soften. Add the diced carrots, stir in with the onions and continue to fry gently for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, the ground coriander and the ground cumin and stir well.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the carrots are cooked.
Add almost all of the chopped fresh coriander, season, allow to cool then blend until you have the consistency you like.
Return the soup to the pan, reheat, then add the remaining fresh coriander before serving.
Alternatively, try roasting the carrots with a teaspoon of cumin seeds before adding them to the soup. Simply drizzle the carrots with a little olive oil, season and mix with the cumin seeds then roast in a hot oven for 15 minutes. This will give the soup a deeper, warmer flavour compared to a fresher flavour in the original recipe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)