Week 10
Cassoulet style sausages and beans
Last week I posted recipes from the ever popular Jamie Oliver and this recipe is from another TV chef/cook who’s also really popular at the moment, Mary Berry. Sausages have got a bad reputation probably because there are some that are made with poor quality ingredients and lots of preservatives. Look for ones with the highest meat content to buy the better quality products.
This recipe is based on the french dish cassoulet, a slow cooked casserole of meat and beans, from the south of France. I often cook this type of sausage casserole and add whatever beans/lentils and veg I have in the house. Use any type of beans or a mixture if you fancy. They add extra protein and fibre to the dish and give it a rich taste.
Serves 2
Ingredients
· Tin haricot beans drained
· sunflower oil
· 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cut into strips
· smallish onion, quartered
· 1 clove garlic, crushed
· 2 teaspoons plain flour
· 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
· 1 tablespoon tomato puree
· ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 4 good quality sausages
Method
1. Heat the oil in pan and cook the bacon until just beginning to crisp. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the pieces start to brown around the edges. Sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for a minute before adding the tomatoes, tomato puree and herbs.
2. Add the beans and 250ml water. Bring the mixture to the boil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
3. Pour the bean mixture into a shallow baking dish, and arrange the sausages on top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes, turning the sausages once until the sausages are browned and the beans piping hot.
4. Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Sweet mustard chicken
This simple yet fantastic recipe is adapted from the food blog Gooddinnermom, an American site. Don’t be put off by the amount of mustard in this recipe. The maple syrup and brown sugar tone it down to produce a warming spicy, sweet sauce. Perfect for this cooler weather. Yes, it does have a kick from the mustard but it doesn’t overpower. Use whatever strength mustard you prefer. American and french mustard tend to be quite mild whereas English and Dijon are quite hot. Wholegrain mustard is medium strength and the little mustard seeds pack a punch when crunched. Give it a go!
Serves 2
Ingredients
· 3 tablespoons mustard
· 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
· 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
· 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
· Salt and pepper
· Fresh rosemary for garnish, optional
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200c gas. Lightly oil a small baking dish big enough to fit the chicken with a little space in between.
2. In small bowl, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Set aside.
3. Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking dish. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, lifting the chicken here and there to allow the sauce to spread underneath the chicken. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully spoon some of the sauce from the bottom of the pan onto each chicken breast. Cook for 8-12 minutes more until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken is cooked through. Don't overbake or the chicken will be dry.
5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Serve immediately
Macaroni cauliflower cheese bake
I’ve sneaked in another Jamie recipe as this is perfect cold weather fare. It combines two classic dishes with the added bonus of having a vegetable included in this one pot.
Pasta is a source of carbohydrate, providing the body with its preferred energy source to carry out essential functions and for activity. Avoiding carbohydrate can leave you feeling tired and sluggish. Include complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread and pasta in your diet as these provide a slower and more sustained release of energy.
Serves 2
Ingredients
· cauliflower
· 100 g cheddar cheese
· 50 g parmesan cheese
· 1/2 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
· salt and pepper
· 4 handfuls pasta, uncooked
· 100 g creme fraiche
Method
To prepare your pasta:
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard. Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk and cut the head into small florets. Halve the thick stalk lengthways, then slice thinly. Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan into a large heatproof bowl. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves.
To cook your pasta:
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and all your cauliflower and cook according to the macaroni-package instructions. Place the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the crème fraîche. Carefully stir every so often until the cheese is smooth and melted. If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly. Add all the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven gloves and put aside. Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan, pour in the melted cheese, and stir. It should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.
At this point you can either serve the macaroni as is, or finish it under the grill to make it crispy and golden on top. To do this, preheat your grill to a medium to high heat. Transfer to a baking dish. Place under the grill until golden and bubbling
Easy squash risotto
Making risotto usually involves lots and lots and lots of stirring. This recipe uses a cheat’s method ...pop it in the microwave! Much simpler, less tiring and a whole lot quicker.
Serves 2
Ingredients
· 1 clove garlic, crushed
· ½ onion, finely chopped
· Knob butter
· 125g risotto rice
· 350ml hot vegetable stock
· 1/2 medium butternut squash
· big handful grated parmesan, plus extra
· sage leaves, roughly chopped
Method
1. Put the onion, garlic and butter in a microwavable bowl. Cover with a microwaveable plate and cook on High 3 mins.
2. Tip the rice into the bowl with the onion mixture and stir to mix. Then add 300ml of the hot vegetable stock. Re-cover and microwave on High for 5 mins.
3. Meanwhile, peel and cut the squash into medium chunks. Carefully remove the plate and stir the rice, then add the squash and the rest of the stock. Re-cover, then microwave for another 15 mins, stirring halfway, until almost all the stock is absorbed and the rice and squash are tender.
4. Leave the risotto to sit for 2 mins, then stir in the parmesan and sage. Serve topped with more grated cheese.
Florentine ham grill
Spinach, ham, cheese, eggs ... a winning combination. Like most green leafy veg, spinach is high in vitamin A, K and folate. It is also a good source of iron and calcium but the downside is that it’s high in phyates which bind to these minerals and decrease the amount absorbed by the body. Including vitamin C (eg peppers, orange juice) with these vegetables helps to increase the absorption particularly of iron. Ham, eggs and cheese add protein. Serve with toast soldiers to dip into the eggs. Yum
Serves 2
Ingredients
· 2 large handfuls baby spinach
· 4 slices ham
· 4 eggs
· 4 tbsp creme fraiche
· 50g grated cheese
Method
1. Put the spinach into a large colander and stand it in the sink. Pour over boiling water until all the leaves are wilted. Shake well to drain off all the water.
2. Preheat the grill to medium.
3. Line two small, shallow ovenproof dishes with the slices of ham. Don’t worry if it flops over the edge.
4. Spread the spinach evenly over the ham and season well with salt and pepper. Crack in the eggs and blob over the creme fraiche.
5. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese and slide under the grill for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve with toast soldiers