Sunday Roast

I felt like going traditional today, what better way than a Sunday roast? ;)

The chicken was rubbed with spices and sent into the oven. Some potatoes were quartered, doused in olive oil and dusted with coarse salt and dried herbs. Once that was sorted they, together with a fair few garlic cloves, went into the oven too.

When the chicken was done it ended up resting under a foil tent. In the meantime I made the gravy in the roasting tin.

It was all served with some veg and some really nice habanero chili jam.

Enjoyed!

Recipe - Garlic-roasted chicken breasts

Chicken breasts are easy and versatile to cook with. This recipe gives you some tasty chicken with a crispy top of garlic.

You could put the chicken breasts under the grill before chucking them into the oven if you want to give them some extra color.
Garlic-roasted chicken breasts - makes 2 breasts
Ingredients
2 skin- and boneless chicken breasts
3 (or more) large garlic cloves
1 - 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 - 2 teasspoons dried sage
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 240c/475F/Gas mark 9.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in oregano, sage, red-pepper flakes, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Cut a pocket in each chicken breast and push in 1/4 of the garlic mixture into each breast. Divide the remainder of the mixture between each breast and coat the top of them with it.

Roast the chicken in the oven until cooked, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Serve with rice and vegetables. I also added some chilli jam to get some extra kick to it.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Pasta with Cheesy sauce

Some times a quick pasta dish is just what the doctor ordered. It's turning colder in the evenings now so it can be nice to have a bowl of hot steaming pasta with a hearty sauce in front of you.

Pasta with Cheesy sauce (serves 2 or so)

Ingredients
Spaghetti
Blue cheese, Gorgonzola or any other flavoursome cheese of your liking
1 leek, cut into slices
Smoked pancetta slices
300ml double cream
Butter
Salt and pepper

Method
Put the pancetta under the grill until crispy, put to the side. In the meantime cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the leek until it starts getting soft and slightly translucent. Crumble in the cheese and gently fry until it is melting. Stir in the cream and let everything gently simmer away until the sauce is starting to thicken. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta once it's done and stir in the sauce thoroughly. Serve with the crispy pancetta on top.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Calzone

Sorry about the delays in posting anything here but work is manic at the moment and I just don't seem to remember to take pictures of and document what I cook.

But, I promise to try and update more often from now on.

Homemade pizzas always taste better than the ones you buy in the shop and I particularly like Calzones. You can vary the fillings to suit your taste, this is just a suggestion.

Calzone

Ingredients
500g mince
1 yellow onion, split and sliced
Olive oil
Chilli Mayo
Roasted Garlic Mayo
Pickled Chillies
Button Mushrooms, thickly sliced
Grated Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Rindless smoked bacon
1 portion of pizza dough (I cheated and bought a kit that just needs added water)

Method
Set your oven to 225c/425f/gas mark 7.

Start by grilling the bacon until it's crispy, cut into small pieces and put to the side. Fry the mince in the olive oil until it starts to brown, then add the sliced mushrooms and the onion and let this slowly fry until the onion is nice and soft.

In the meantime prepare the pizza dough and roll it out into a more square shape than you'd normally do for a 'normal' pizza. Spread the base with the different mayos and then put the mince, mixed with the bacon, on top of this - leaving a bit of an edge so you can close the pizza up later. Top with mozzarella and grated cheese and finish off with the sliced pickled chillies. Close up the pizza and put it into the oven for 25 minutes or until it's nicely browned.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Lamb Mince Casserole

Back from holiday and it's time to get back posting...

This is a quick, tasty and filling dish that you basically can modify to suit your own taste. I served it (as you can see below) with home made garlic bread. Something that worked very nice ;)

Lamb Mince Casserole

Ingredients
500g lamb mince
1 yellow onion, split and sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped (or more to taste)
1 red chili, chopped
2 red peppers, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 meat stock cube
300 - 400 ml water
2 - 3 tbsp chilli sauce (or more to taste)
200 ml mixed, cooked beans
100 ml unpitted black olives
1 bundle of parsley, chopped
Plenty of fresh tomatoes, sliced and chopped
Salt and pepper
Method
Fry the mince in the olive oil until it starts to brown and is fried through. Add the onion, garlic, chili and pepper. Let this fry for another minute or so.

Add the stock cube, the water and the chilli sauce and let this simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the beans, olives, tomatoes and the parsley. Let this heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Holiday

I'm jetting off on holiday as of tomorrow. I have no idea if I will be able to update the blog while I'm away or not, it all depends on if I can find access to t'Internet easily or not.

If I don't get access, expect a fair few 'travelogue' posts when I get back.

Laters!

Drink recipe - Michelada

I must admit, I haven't tried this one yet. I keep seeing references to it and loads of people rave about it but so far I've been to much of a chicken.

I normally believe in keeping my beer simple and un-mixed but what if people are onto something here? Has any of you readers tried this, or could someone be cajoled into trying it for me? ;)

I've borrowed the recipe and picture from Saveur magazine, one of the best food magazines out there.

Michelada - Makes 2

Ingredients
Margarita salt or kosher salt
1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice
1 12-oz. bottle light Mexican beer, such as Corona or Pacifico
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco
Half a lime, cut into wedges

Method
Dip rims of two tall chilled glasses in a saucer of water, shake off excess, then dip moistened rims in a saucer of salt. Fill each glass halfway with ice, then one-third full with lime juice, and top off each with beer. Add 1–2 dashes worcestershire and Tabasco to each. Garnish with lime wedges, if you like.

Enjoy?

Recipe - Fat Bastard Huevos Rancheros

Yes, I know. These aren't very authentic Huevos Rancheros. But how would I know how to make that? I'm a Swede who lives in England! ;) However, if anyone is willing to sponsor a trip to Mexico for me to undertake some serious research of the Mexican cuisine I'm more than willing to sacrifice myself. ;)

And yes. This isn't very healthy, and there was lots of it. All I can say is that I was hungry....

Fat Bastard Huevos Rancheros - serves one fat bastard

Ingredients
1 tin of baked beans
1 onion, finely chopped
Garlic to taste, I used about 8 cloves, finely chopped
Hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 pack of pancetta rashers (or bacon)
1 tin of crushed tomatoes
2 eggs
1 flour tortilla
Shredded cheese to taste

Method
Start by sweating the garlic and onion in some olive oil. Once the onion has started to soften add the tomatoes and let it simmer until it has reduced quite a bit. Add hot sauce and pepper to taste.

At the same time heat the beans gently.

While the tomato mixture reduces, fry the pancetta until it's crispy. Put it on some kitchen towel to get rid of some of the fat.

Once the tomato mixture starts to look ready you can fry the eggs in the bacon drippings.

Put the tortilla on a plate, top with the eggs. Pour beans on top, followed by tomato mixture to taste. Top it all with the grated cheese.

Enjoy!



Let's start with a humble tortilla.

Some serious cooking going on.

Let's put the eggs on there.

Miss Piggy has landed!

The beans are smoking.

The tomato and cheese adds the final touch.

Yes, this fat bastard finished it all! :)

Recipe - Devilled Eggs

This is a really nice and simple recipe for a starter. You can vary the filling as much as your imagination will let you.

I must admit that I sometimes make a bunch of these to snack on, that's how much I like them.

I haven't made any in a little while so I don't have any phots, so I've taken the liberty to borrow both photo and this particular recipe from devilledeggs.com. Naughty Mike. ;) You can find step by step instructions on this site as well, which can be of help the first time you try to make these spicy little numbers.

Devilled Eggs - makes 12

Ingredients
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
¼ cup Light Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chives, chopped very fine for filling
1 teaspoon chives, chopped fine for garnish
3 dashes of hot sauce, your choice of brand and heat
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Paprika for garnish, or for extra kick, use a light sprinkle of chili powder

Method
Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, 1 tsp of the chives, hot sauce, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with chives then the paprika.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refridgerate for up to one day before serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Brined Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts that are barbecued can quite easily turn dry and boring. Brining them is a way of avoiding this. It's not just chicken that can be treated this way. Turkey, pork and even fish steaks can benefit from being brined. If you try this recipe you'll definitively notice a difference in how moist the chicken is. Just don't overdo it, two hours is well enough.

I'm sorry about the low number of pictures in this post. I was so hungry that I forgot all about taking pictures. ;)

Brined Chicken Breasts - serves 4

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breasts
60 ml coarse salt
60 ml firmly packed dark brown sugar
20 whole black peppercorns
1 red chile pepper, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
250 ml hot water plus 750 ml cold water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Method
Put the chicken breasts in a non reactive dish.

Place the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, chile pepper and bay leaves in a large non-reactive bowl and add the hot water. Whisk until the salt and sugar dissolves. Pour in the cold water and let cool to room temperature. Pour the brine over the breasts and stir in the lemon slices, onion and garlic. Cover the dish with cling film and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Turn the breasts over once or twice.

Set up your barbecue for direct grilling and preheat to high. Brush and oil the grill gate once the barbecue is hot enough. Put the chicken breasts on the barbecue and grill until done, 4 to 6 minutes per side. To test for doneness, poke a breast in the thickest part of the breast. It should feel firm to the touch.

Enjoy!



The chicken breast are in the brine.

Some rice with sweetcorn and peas makes a nice side.

Here we are, you can almost see how juicy and tender the chicken is.