Dame Starry

Ah ha! Number one son came over earlier to attend to my plumbing and brought me 200g of fresh yeast - and STAR ANISE!
Trouble is, I realise now that I haven't got any sesame oil.......

DS x.

Chevyman

Life can be cruel dear Dame. Half of me was tempted to say "Try it without" but it does make a difference to the flavour via the marinade.

Next online delivery?

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Chevyman

Easy, tasty, cheap and recommended for anyone who can’t cook
Serves Two

Ingredients
1 200gr tin Corned Beef
1 Large Onion, chopped
1lb Potatoes, peeled
Worcestershire Sauce
Mustard
Cooking Oil

Method
Heat the oven to 190c/375f
Heat some oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions until soft.
Meanwhile boil the potatoes until you can easily pass a sharp blade or skewer through them.
Add the corned beef to the onions and allow it to break up by stirring occasionally.
Add a good splash of Worcestershire sauce and a tbsp of mustard to the corned beef and onion mixture. Season to taste.
Mash the potatoes.
Turn out the corned beef and onions into an ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potato.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes and serve with an accompaniment of your choice.



Tips
There are so many variations:-
If you want the pie to be less dry you could add some tomato juice or red wine to the mixture
Some dried herbs might add to the flavour
It may be prepared in advance and left covered in the fridge for when you are ready in the evening

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Dame Starry

I love corned beef, Chevy!
Would you believe that something I have never, ever bought is Worcester Sauce? I suppose I should!

Amongst other things, I've been really busy designing and making a card for a friend for the 50th Anniversary of her shop and it took more than one attempt and nearly two weeks! I finally finished it yesterday.

I tell you what I DID buy though, which is fantastic:


Very Lazy Garlic (£1-48 for 200g from Sainsburys)

It's chopped garlic in white wine vinegar - which evaporates during cooking - and, once opened, lasts about 12 weeks in the fridge. NO MORE SMELLY FINGERS!

I'm making bread today - but I'm looking through my old cookery books again to see if I can find a 'blast from the past'!

DS x.

The Christmas countdown has begun - don't leave it all until the last minute!

Chevyman

Both Mrs Chevyman and I love corned beef too; corned beef hash is one of her favourites

I cooked this on Saturday evening as it was our last dinner together until she gets back from a work trip on Wednesday ..... it's a bit of a variation on the hash I suppose?

I've got a few jars of the English Provender Co products .. Lemon Grass, Chilli, Ginger and like you, garlic. The flavour is very good and the waste is minimal.

I use Worcestershire Sauce in casseroles and hash recipes. While in France I needed some and bought the only brand available...Heinz..it smelled and tasted like Owbridges cough mixture...............ugh.

Long live Lea and Perrins

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Dame Starry

I loved Owbridges when I was little - I used to pretend I had a cough just to get a spoonful!

I think those jars are good value - and they don't sprout or wither!

DS x.

The Christmas countdown has begun - don't leave it all until the last minute!

Chevyman

I loved Owbridges too but I'd rather not use it as a cooking ingredient

Forgot. I also have a jar of English Provender "Caramelised Red Onion"; keeps well and tastes superb

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

MB

I love the English Provender ingredients..they are incredibly strong, mind you, you only need a tiny bit...

Re - Waitrose. I am a complete convert..I used to think them over priced..but once you spend a bit of time in there and get the feel for really good quality ingredients..it is hard to go back..

Chevyman

Added to which they save you having to buy an enormous quantity of lemon grass, ginger etc., when you're only going to use a small amount

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Chevyman

A quick, easy and tasty dish which does well as lunch or dinner

Serves Two

Ingredients
1 Large Chicken Breast, sliced very thinly
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1 Carrot, sliced into “matchsticks”
2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
½ tsp Ginger, chopped
2 tbsp Hoi Sin Sauce
2 tbsp Chilli Dipping Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
Dried Noodles …… as many as you think you’ll eat!
Cooking Oil ….. of your choice

Method
Get all the ingredients ready.
Add the dried noodles to a pan of boiling water. When cooked, drain, cover and set aside.
Heat the wok or large frying pan. When very hot add the cooking oil.
Add the chicken and soy sauce and stir fry for about five minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for another minute.
Add the carrots and spring onions and stir fry for another minute.
Add the Hoi Sin and Chilli Sauces and stir thoroughly.
Add the cooked noodles, bring up to serving temperature and serve in bowls

Tips
If you use chilli dipping sauce it shouldn’t be too hot. If you choose a straight chilli sauce, add it a little at a time to suit your taste.
For extra tenderness try marinating the sliced chicken in a mixture of 2 tbsp dry sherry and 1 tsp cornflour
The noodles can be cooked as a last stage and used as a “bed” on which to serve the chicken mixture
Ginger from a jar (as suggested by Dame Starry above) will be fine

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Chevyman

Serves Two

Ingredients
½ lb Lamb Neck Fillet
1 tsp Tamarind paste
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Ground Cardamom (Elaichi powder)
1 tbsp Madras Curry paste or powder
1 Large Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1 Onion, thickly sliced
1 tsp Cooking Oil
200 mls Coconut Milk

Method

Slice the lamb into 2” chunks; place in a mixing bowl which has a lid.
Mix together all the other spices and the cooking oil. Add this mixture to the lamb and ensure that all the meat is covered.
Place the lid on the bowl and leave in the fridge for 24 hours
Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before commencing the cooking.
Heat a large saucepan or casserole to medium heat.
While the lamb is de-chilling, chop the onion and garlic.
Once the saucepan is ready place the chunks of lamb into it. There should be enough oil on the lamb to cook it; if not add a little more. Keep stirring the meat.
When the lamb is brown, add the onions and “sweat” them until they are soft.
Add the garlic and chopped tomatoes and remaining marinade, season to taste, stir, cover and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours. Stir from time to time.
If dry, add a little water or red wine.
(If you taste it during cooking and it seems bitter, don’t worry; it’s the tamarind which the coconut milk will balance later.
After two hours, add the coconut milk and stir thoroughly.
Cook for another 30 minutes by which time the meat should be meltingly tender and the whole dish will have taken on a darker brown colour.
Serve with rice of your choice.

Tips

If you don’t have time to marinate the lamb, don’t bother, although the flavours won’t be so intense.
Mango Chutney is a good accompaniment.
Freezes well

Tipple

Don’t bother with wine; it will be overpowered by the spices.
Cold Lager
Mineral water

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Chevyman

Shamelessly reproduced after a visit to a restaurant in France

I've written this in "ratios" rather than in precise measures, the end quantities are then up to you

Make sure all the ingredients are chilled

1 part Gin
1 part Dry White Wine
2 parts Clementine Juice or Orange Juice

Pour the ingredients into a glass, or glasses, stir and serve.

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

MB

Oooh - I'm going to try that.

I'm thinking about starting now as trying to do any work with a little one in the house is a non starter..I might just give up and watch the yoga channel.

(Not really going to drink with a little one in the house - never have! Just feel like it...)

Ok this is going to sound really, really silly -
I don't know if this is of any use to anyone - completely at the other end of the scale of cooking expertise - but still lovely and hard to get right - but I have found the perfect cupcake recipe I think. I have tried Nigela Lawsons, Anthony Worralls - but this one - by Annabell Karmel works wonders (but I double up the portions and they look quite fulsome and plenty to decorate - really nice with buttercream - twice the amount of icing sugar to butter and a few drops of vanilla)

2 large eggs, cracked open
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g/4oz caster sugar
125g/4oz soft margarine
125g/4oz self-raising flour

Cream the butter and sugar and then carefully fold in and mix the rest - use an ice-cream scoop to get an even amount in each case.

This is what I have discovered works best: On gas, middle of the oven so that the bottoms cook near the heat, put a pan of steaming water on the floor of the oven to help prevent crust and judge by your eye - not the recipe time as every oven produces a different result.

Take them out as soon as you think they are ready (after testing with a skewer) - it is best to let them cook in their own heat than risk a hard top.

They actually taste better the next day as the top softens.

I just sit my daughter in front of them with little bowls of different toppings and she is captivated for ages.

Chevyman

I'd better not let Mrs Chevyman see that one MB.

Thanks for posting it

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?

Chevyman

Quick and easy to make and very versatile hot or cold

Serves Four

Ingredients
4 Chicken breasts, slashed with a knife across, but not right through the flesh
200mls Natural Yoghurt
1 tbsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Harissa paste…if not ½ tsp Chilli powder
1 Clove Garlic, crushed.
1 tbsp Cooking Oil…. Your choice but not Olive Oil

Method

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl, apart from the chicken, until you have a smooth paste.
Add the chicken to the bowl.
Either using a spoon, or your hands, cover each piece of chicken with the paste.
Cover and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes(Yoghurt is an excellent tenderiser)
Decision time?
1. Oven bake the chicken for 25 minutes at 190c/375f
2. Grill at medium for about ten minutes on each side
3. Pan Fry, without using any extra oil, over a medium heat for about ten minutes on each side
4. Place the chicken pieces on a BBQ taking care not to burn them
(If you want to check if they are cooked, pierce the thickest part of each piece with a skewer or sharp knife. Then press the flesh; if clear juices emerge……it’s cooked)
Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice and serve.


TipServe hot or cold with a salad and some pitta bread.

"One appears to have dropped one's monocle in the soufflee"

Why not visit the Festive Fayre section?