Salmon, Vegetable and Pasta Bake

Chatting over lunch today, I mentioned my old handwritten book of recipes so this afternoon I've turned its pages and found my old after school recipes from when the kids were soooo much younger.  Nothing fancy and made mostly with ingredients from the fridge or out of tins! A trio of pasta bakes are to follow that are simple to make and fill up the kids beautifully and have healthy veggies included.  If you fancy something more up market, use fresh salmon or even tuna.

Ingredients
375g rigatoni pasta
30g butter
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml milk
150g frozen peas
1 small tin of sweetcorn, optional
40g grated parmesan
150g mature cheddar
415g tin of red salmon, drained, skin and bones removed.

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cook the pasta, making sure it is only just cooked and drain. Whilst the pasta is on, melt the butter in a saucepan adding the flour and keep stirring until it is all combined and thickened. Next, gradually add the milk over a medium heat and bring the sauce to the boil.  Stir in the peas and corn, half the parmesan and half the cheddar.  Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.  Mix the sauce,pasta  and salmon together and pour into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.  Finally, bake, uncovered for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Macaroni Cheese

Winter's here, snow is in the way so comfort food is on the menu.  You can always add extra tomatoes and a salad for a healthier option! Adapted from a Felicity Cloake recipe. 

Ingredients for 4 

400g macaroni

70g butter, plus extra for greasing

50g plain flour

900mls whole milk

1/2 a nutmeg, grated

1 teasp English mustard powder

100g mature cheddar

2 slices of white bread, made into breadcrumbs

2 tbsp grated parmesan

4 tomatoes, halved.

Black pepper and salt for the tomatoes.  

Method

Cook the macaroni in plenty of salted boiling water until tender following the pack instructions. Meanwhile, melt 50g of the butter in a pan, and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until it thickens, then add the grated nutmeg and the mustard and stir in the cheddar until smooth. Take off the heat, and season to taste.

Pre-heat the grill. Drain the macaroni and rinse under cold running water. Grease a baking dish with butter, then combine the pasta and cheese sauce and tip into the dish.

Melt the remaining butter and then toss it together with the breadcrumbs and the parmesan. Spread over the top of the dish, then arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on top. Grill for about 10 minutes until golden and bubbling. Allow to stand for five minutes before serving.

Ragu Bolognese

A labour of love in the kitchen today as now that I've emptied my freezer I'm filling it up again with 'ready meals' for the family to eat when I'm working away from home. This is worth the effort and the long slow cook really delivers on flavour. Adapted from a Delia Smith recipe and I hope my Italian friends approve. 

Ingredients

450g lean minced beef

450g minced pork

6 tbsp olive oil

225g chicken livers, washed trimmed and chopped

2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

140g pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 x 200g  tubes double concentrate tomato purée

Half bottle red wine

1 tbsp L&P or mushroom ketchup

30g fresh basil (1 pack) 

½ whole nutmeg, grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Method

Preheat the oven to 140C. Using a large frying pan, heat 3 tbsp of the oil and gently fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, moving it around from time to time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta. After 10 minutes, add this to the pan to join the onions and garlic and continue cooking them all for another 5 minutes. Next transfer this mixture to the casserole. Add another tbsp of oil to the pan, turn the heat up to its highest then add the minced beef and brown it, breaking it up and moving it round in the pan. When the beef is browned tip it into the casserole. Heat another tbsp of the oil and do exactly the same with the minced pork. When the pork is browned, transfer it to the casserole, then heat the remaining tbsp of oil and brown the pieces of chicken liver. Add these to the casserole. Place the casserole over the direct heat, give everything a good stir, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée, red wine and a really good seasoning of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Allow this to come up the simmer. Then take half the basil and chop finely and add to the pot. Once it is simmering, place the casserole on the centre shelf of the oven and leave it to cook slowly, without a lid, for 4 hours. It's a good idea to have a look after 3 hours to make sure all is well, but what you should end up with is a thick, concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left in it, then remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, sand add the remaining basil and stir in.

Once cooled, divide it into freezer bags. Seal, leaving a little bit of air at the top to allow room for expansion. Each 225g pack, thoroughly defrosted and re-heated, will provide enough ragù for 225g of pasta, which will serve 2 people.  It’s worth it!

Tarka Daal

Saturday's curry really hit the spot and this is the daal dish I served with it.  I adore this recipe as it is so so simple.  Don't be put off by the amount of water used, just whack up the heat and let it bubble away. I could eat this on its own! Recipe courtesy of Cracking Curries. 

Ingredients

1 mug channa daal or yellow split peas

4 mugs water

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 inch ginger, chopped or grated

2 teasp cumin seeds

1 teasp ground coriander

1 teasp chilli powder, to taste

1 teasp salt

Handful of coriander, finely chopped

Half an onion, peeled and sliced. 

Method

Wash the daal a few times, drain and then put it in a large pot. Add the 4 mugs of water. Turn the heat to high. Add all the spices, the garlic, tomatoes and ginger.  Bring to the boil, cover and let it bubble away on a medium to high heat for around 40-45 minutes. Make sure it’s bubbling away or it will take longer to cook. Don’t be afraid of the high heat – there’s a lot of water in there to get rid of. Be brave! Halfway  through cooking, taste the cooking liquid and adjust the chilli, salt or spices if you need to. Cook it to the consistency you like. A few more minutes to thicken it. You can always add a bit of water to thin it out. Take off the heat, add the chopped coriander. Mix very gently once.Transfer into serving bowl. Fry the onions in a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil until dark golden brown then scatter over the top of the daal, without mixing. Serve with chapatis or roti and enjoy!

Chicken curry - my way

Saturday's here again and the spice fest continues.  I'm cooking a stonking curry whilst watching West Side Story, my idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon.  This recipe is based on my own take on a masala paste.  I know there is jar upon jar of curry pastes in the shops but I just love making my own, especially at the weekend when I have more time, and it keeps in the fridge for ages.  As it is a birthday weekend for one of the kids I'm pushing the boat out a bit and doing some sides as well to go with the main dish. I'll try to post these in the week.  

Ready for the slow cooker

Ingredients for 8 (great for freezing)

4 tbsp sunflower oil

25g butter

4 onions, roughly chopped

6 tbsp chicken masala paste (use shop-bought or make your own)

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2½ cm cubes

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

4 tbsp tomato purée

200ml natural yogurt

Chopped coriander leaves and finely chopped chilli, to serve

The masala paste!

In a small food processor, whizz together 5 garlic cloves, 1 large knob of fresh root ginger, roughly chopped, 2 red chillies roughly chopped, 2 teasp each ground cumin and coriander, 1 teasp each turmeric, ground cinnamon, fenugreek seeds, paprika and garam masala, 4 cloves and the seeds from 4 cardamom pods. Add a little water to bring the paste together.  

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a large, lidded casserole on the hob, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes until soft and golden. Add the paste and peppers, then cook for 5 minutes more to cook out the rawness of the spices. Add the chicken and stir well to coat in the paste. Cook for 2 minutes, then tip in the tomatoes, purée and 200ml water. Cover with a lid and very gently simmer for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. I’m using my slow cooker and cooking on low for 6 hours.  Remove the lid, add the yogurt, then gently warm through. Season and set aside whatever you want to freeze.  Scatter the rest with coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and naan bread.  If I have time I’ll make a tarka dhal to go with the bread.

Hasan's Lamb Kebabs

It's Friday and I need to eat something spicy! This is the first time I've made these from scratch but I think it will be worth the extra chopping and mixing.  Apparently, the secret is to knead the mince to break it down and then it holds its shape on the skewers and has that authentic look. No red food colouring in these kebabs just loads of flavour! Thanks to Dan Toombs for sharing this Hasan restaurant in Leeds recipe.  

Ingredients

750g lean minced lamb

1 egg

2 tablespoons green chilli paste

1 onion finely chopped

1 tablespoon freshly roasted and ground coriander powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 large bunch finely chopped fresh coriander

1 teaspoon salt.

Method

Place the lamb mince in a large bowl. Mix in the other ingredients and begin working the minced lamb with your hands. When all the ingredients are nicely mixed, begin pressing down on the meat as you knead it. You’ve got to achieve a “lace” type texture by pounding the mince.

Once it all ready, about five minutes of kneading, form the meat into kebab shapes. If you have large skewers be sure to squeeze the meat onto the skewers.

Place the sheek kebabs over hot coals and grill, alternatively whack your grill up to its highest temperature, turning regularly until the meat is cooked through.  I'm serving these with toasted pitta bread, lemon wedges, lettuce, grated carrots, slices of onion and slices of tomato.  A bowl of mint raita will set it all off beautifully. 

Posh Shepherd's Pie

I've tinkered with this classic family favourite and added in a few extra flavours, hence 'Posh Pie, a little bit fancier than the original.  

Ingredients

500g minced lamb

300ml chicken stock

2 carrots in small dice

2 sticks celery, diced

1 brown onion, chopped

1 small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

5 cloves roasted garlic or 1 unroasted, crushed

1 tbsp mushroom ketchup, optional

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 teasp dried English mustard

1 teasp fennel seeds

1 kg peeled, cooked floury potatoes (such as King Edward, Desiree or Maris piper)

Butter, to taste

½ cup of hot milk

Salt and pepper

1 beaten egg, optional. 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a sauté pan brown the mince and discard any excess fat.  Add in the diced carrot, onion, celery and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes.  Next add in the mustard, fennel seeds, Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup.  Stir well. Now add the parsley and stock.  Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste. Press the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Mash together the cooked potatoes or use a ricer for a finer finish adding butter to taste and the milk. Try adding an egg for a richer mash that's easier to pipe if you want to be really posh! Top the meat with the potatoes. Use a fork to make a pretty design on top or pipe.

Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and turn up the oven to 200C for a final 10 minutes so it’s piping hot and lightly golden-brown on top.

Serve the pie hot with steamed cabbage or peas piled alongside.  Make extra gravy if you like.