Roasted Duck Leg Ragu with Raisins

Serve with lots of Parmesan!

Who doesn't love ragu? I love it, and I'm usually partial to a long stewed beef ragu. I decided to see what I could do with some duck. I had an idea for a long time that duck would be good stewed as a ragu. When I got hold of some duck. it was duck legs on the bone and instead of boiling or deboning the legs I decided to roast them. After I roasted the legs I took the meat off the bone and then started the sauce. The result was amazing, in my opinion of course. I admit the idea for using the raisins wasn't just from a recipe that I previously read from Jamie Oliver, but I think the similarities are spot on and he knows what he's talking about here. Mostly when you cook something for a long time, it tends to get bitter. When cooking different types of cuisines that play on that sweet and sour note, you tend to have an instinct to throw in a dried fruit of some kind to counteract the bitterness that sometimes tinned tomatoes can cause. My mom and most recipes when cooking a bolognese call to add a bit of brown sugar or something. The raisins seemed to be a perfect hit and really fell apart and dissipated in the sauce and you'd never know they were there. Everything about this recipe is great especially the fact that you can do it ahead. You can roast the legs well in advance and take the meat off the bone and let it sit for a few days if you want. The sauce itself only takes a bit of boiling for about 45 minutes, and the results are really amazing.

I think this is a fantastic dish for anyone to try if they want minimal amount of work to impress someone. If you make the duck ahead of time then there's little to nothing to do for the sauce. I served this with store made fresh pasta and the second time I made it I tried to make my own pasta. I don't recommend ruining such a nice dish with your own experimentals, but definitely get hold of some good tagliatelle or pappardelle, something nice and thick to soak up the sauce. Serve with some nice garlic bread and a rocket salad. This recipe serves 2-3, but you can easily double the ingredients for a larger amount.

Ingredients:
2 duck legs
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 medium carrot
1 rib celery
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
250ml red wine
¼ c. raisins or sultanas
1 sprig rosemary (leaves removed and chopped)
½ tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan

To Start:
Place the duck legs in a small pan and roast for a couple of hours on 180C.
When done set aside and cool to room temperature, then remove the meat from the bone.

For the Ragu:
Dice the onion, celery and carrot and crush the garlic.
In a medium saucepan heat the oil, when hot add in the celery, carrot and onion saute for about 5 minutes.
Next add the wine and boil for another 2-3 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates.
When it's at least reduced by half, add in the tinned tomatoes and the can of water.
Bring to a boil and then add in the garlic raisins and duck meat.
When the sauce is back up to a boil, turn down to a low-medium heat and boil for about 30-45 minutes. You want a thick consistency, and check for salt and pepper at the end.

Slow Cooker Spanish-Style Chorizo and Squid Stew

I bought a slow cooker a few months ago, and sometimes it comes in really handy! I prefer to cook things on my own, but when you’re going out and you just want to throw some dinner in a pot, it’s a great way to save some time! I knew that I wanted to use this method with this recipe in particular because I was using squid. I know that the rule with squid is to either cook it really fast or to cook it really slowly and for a long period. What better way to use the slow cooker then! I really enjoyed this stew, but my hub enjoyed it too! He’s not really a fish eater and kind of frowned when he found out it was chorizo AND squid. I cooked it all day for about 5-8hours and it had a really lovely depth of flavour. The one downside to this recipe is I used white wine which I had to cook out in the beginning of the cooking; if you don’t it probably will have a weird funky alcoholic taste so I decided to cook it off beforehand. Try it! In a medium slow cooker it serves about 5. Enjoy!

Lovely with a bit of crusty bread.

Ingredients:
150g chorizo (half of a ring)
200g fresh squid
1 large onion
1 red pepper
1 chilli or two if you’re feeling spicy
1 400g tin chick peas
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 Knorr fish stock pot (use 4c. fish stock if you don’t have this)
1 large glass white wine (250ml)
1 can of water
Pinch saffron
1-2 cloves garlic
Green Spanish olives

To Start:
Slice the red pepper, chilli, fresh squid, and add to the slow cooker.
Add the chopped tomatoes and chick peas (undrained), along with an extra can of water.
Turn on the slow cooker to high.

For the Cooking Part:
Heat a frying pan until well hot.
Slice the chorizo and onion into thin slices and add to the hot pan.
Stir around until the chorizo renders some fat and smells fragrant.
Next add the white wine, stock cube and pinch of saffron, cook for about 5 minutes.
Add all of the chorizo onion and wine mixture to the slow cooker.
Finish in the slow cooker with a few cloves of garlic and green olives.
Put the lid on and leave for 1hr on high, then turn down to low for the remaining 5 hours of cooking.

Note: The cooking time is only dependent on what time you have. You can easily start this from low, I just wanted to get some heat going through before I left it alone.

Orange Chilli Beef

Sometimes you want some takeaway but don’t want to go out because you know you can technically whip together a stirfry. If this happens to you this might be the perfect recipe for you. Sometimes I feel like I really don’t want to cook but I have ingredients in my cupboard and I’m able to pull something together that is far superior and far healthier than a local takeaway. This gave me the satisfaction of an ooey gooey sauce that I always find so moreish about Chinese takeaway, and there’s a lovely sweet sticky element that coats everything that brings my tummy happiness. There’s literally nothing to this recipe, if you’re prepared from the start of a meal everything can be very simple. In this case I used some cheap frying steak, and to get it tender I fry it first with onions and a little water before I add anything else in, you can use any type of beef you want, whatever works for you I say go for it! I also use a non-stick pan and am able to get away without using any oil to cook with which is fantastic for watching calories. I thoroughly recommend anyone investing in one, mine is a Le Creuset. Anyways, this recipe feeds 2-3. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
350g beef fry steak in thin strips
1 onion
3 large carrots
200g mushrooms
1 green or red pepper
1 chilli or however many you like
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch spring onions
3 tbsp. soy sauce
Juice and zest of one lemon + ¼ c. orange juice if orange isn’t juicy
1 tbsp. honey
1 ½ tbsp. corn flour
½ c. water
Rice to serve

To Start:
If you haven’t started your rice do so now.
Peel and slice your carrots.
Slice mushrooms, spring onion, pepper, chilli, onion, and garlic.
In a bowl, mix together corn flour 2 tbsp. soy sauce, orange juice and zest, water and honey; mix and set aside.

To cook:
In a large pan heat oil if you’re using it, add the beef and the onion, and a little water, cover it and simmer on medium for about 10-15 minutes.
Next add in the pepper, carrot and turn up the heat to high and keep uncovered at this point.
Add in the garlic, and remaining tablespoon of soy sauce.
Add in the chilli and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. It’s important to cook the veg to your liking, I like mine crispy still.
Stir the sauce, and turn down the heat. If it gets too thick add some water.
Finish with the spring onions and serve over rice!

Halloumi Stuffed Peppers with a Spicy Tomato Sauce

I love a good vegetarian dish for supper as well as a good Moroccan spiced dish. This fortunately combines both! It’s fairly easy to put together as well, but once it’s together you shove it in the oven and forget about it. There are also a million things you can do with the couscous stuffing. You can eat it as a side by itself or stuff it into a chicken or lamb roulade. You could also integrate other ingredients; the options are endless! I made this dish to serve as a main course for two people making 4-5 peppers. It can easily be a side dish as well, just up the ingredients a bit.

Light lunch, dinner or a side dish!

Ingredients:
1 400g tin of tomatoes
2 medium onions
75g dried whole wheat couscous
225g block halloumi
4 large peppers
3 cloves garlic
50g dried dates
50g dried pistachios
2-4 tbsp. ras el hanout rub
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. olive oil

For the Sauce:
Dice one onion and chop garlic.
In a saucepan combine tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic, and 1-2 tbsp. ras el hanout.
Bring to a boil and let it reduce until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. (You might need to add half can of water)

For the Couscous:
Dice the other onion and garlic.
Slice the dried dates and pistachios.
In a small pan heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, and dates until soft.
At the end add the pistachios and take off heat.
In a bowl mix the dried couscous with the friend onions, garlic, dates, and pistachios.
Pour about 250ml boiling water on to the couscous, cover with cling film and set aside.

To Assemble:
When the sauce is done take off heat.
Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and veins.
Cut the halloumi in about 24 chunks (six pieces for each pepper)
Place a ladle of sauce at the bottom of the dish.
Place halloumi in each pepper arranged so you can still fill with the couscous mixture.
By now the couscous should be rehydrated and ready to fluff and fill. Use a large table spoon to fill each pepper evenly and repeat for all of the peppers.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the peppers.
Cover with foil and bake for about 45mins-1hr at 180.
Enjoy!

Turkey Escalopes Stuffed with Spinach and Cream Cheese

I’ve wanted to stuff some meat for a long time! Escalopes are the perfect medium for that, and you can easily use pork, chicken, and beef would go especially nice with this recipe. I used turkey in this particular recipe but like I said, anything will do. I couldn’t quite get them to ‘roll’ like a roulade, but I ended up just pounding the fillets out and folding them in half and baking them with a tooth pick (soaked of course so they won’t burn). I love these and I hope you do too. You can also use this as inspiration for finding fillings of your own. This recipe serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are!

Serve with any dipping sauce you'd like! I like cranberry.

Ingredients:
350-500g turkey escalopes of similar size
75g extra light cream cheese
150g frozen chopped spinach defrosted and drained thoroughly
½ diced red onion
½ red pepper sliced thinly
1 garlic clove crushed
½ tbsp. light olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

To Start:
Soak about 6 tooth picks in water.
Heat the oven to 200C.
In between two pieces of wax paper or cling film, pound out the escalopes until thin.
Heat a large pan with the oil until smoking hot.
Season the escalopes and pan sear on one side in the hot pan, only to get color but not to cook through.
Remove from pan and set aside.

To Assemble and Cook:
Mix the spinach, cream cheese, crushed garlic, and red onion together in a bowl.
Spread a layer onto the flat escalope, top with a few slices of thin red pepper.
Fold over and secure with a tooth pick.
Bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes.

Classic Toad in the Hole

Toad in the hole, what can I say? I had no real idea what it was when it came to British classics. I thought it was something like ‘pigs in a blanket’, which to me is a lovely little Polish sausage wrapped in a crescent roll. What British people think pigs in a blanket is, is a little cocktail sausage wrapped in bacon. While equally nice neither of these things are what I expected. When I looked into toad in the hole to make it on bonfire night it looked really good and interesting. More like a main course than an appetiser! It’s a lovely Yorkshire pudding batter poured over hot oil and sausages and baked. The texture is really great, it has a nice crunchy outside and a very lovely eggy soft middle by the sausage. I encourage anyone to try it, it’s so simple and makes an excellent economical meal! This serves just 2 only because I used 4 sausages, but you could easily use more sausages for this batter recipe. I adapted this recipe from several ones I read online so but my husband who is British gave it the stamp of approval! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
100g plain flour
1 scant tsp. English mustard powder
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
250ml milk
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
4 lean pork sausages (you can use up to 8 sausages)
1 ½ tbsp. oil (anything except olive)

To start:
Heat oven to about 220C or 400-420F (really hot!)
Get the batter going by mixing the flour, salt and mustard powder. Mix around until combined.
Add in the eggs and half of the milk. Mix slowly until combined.
Pour in the rest of the milk and the thyme until all is incorporated. Set aside.

For the Sausages:
In a reasonably sized roasting tin, pour the oil in and lay the sausages out.
When the oven is hot, place them in for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick your sausages are. The goal is to half cook them before the batter.

To Finish:
When the sausages have cooked about 15 minutes, take the pan out and carefully pour over the liquid batter. Be very careful as the batter will splatter in the hot oil.
Cook for 30-40 minutes in the oven, and gauge doneness by the golden crispy crust.
Take out the glorious bake, and serve with some fresh onion gravy and steamed seasonal veggies. YUM!

Cajun Style Dirty Rice

Sometimes things can never make you feel as happy as things from back home. Now, while I'm not quite Cajun, I am close enough in Texas. I used to make this dish (maybe not so traditionally) all the time for my roomates and friends who would come over. I have never made it with the chicken livers before but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It gives it a really lovely depth of flavor. I'm a sucker for offal so this was just up my alley. It's really simple to prepare, and you can use any leftover rice that you have. This recipe serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
250g lean pork mince
200g chicken livers
3c. cooked rice
1 stick celery
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (If you don't have this add equal parts, cayenne, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper)
1 tbsp. oil
1c vegetable stock (maybe less, eye it)
Fresh parsley

To Start:
If you haven't boiled your rice, boil your rice according to the instructions.
Dice finely, peppers, onion, celery and garlic.
Dice the chicken livers to a mince and set aside.
Heat the oil in a hot pan and add the pork mince to brown.
Next add in the onions, celery, pepper and garlic.
Fry down for a few minutes until the peppers and onions have softened.
Add the chicken livers and stir around until thoroughly cooked. About 5 minutes.

To Finish:
Add the hot rice and mix thoroughly, along with the Cajun spice, and about a quarter of the stock)
Simmer on the stove for a few minutes.
Mix around and add more stock to combine ingredients.
When everything is warmed through, taste for seasoning then add the parsley.

Smoked Haddock Kedgeree

I loved smoked haddock (the undyed kind of course). I was looking for some inspiration for a dish and I came across kedgeree which was surprisingly British to my knowledge. It's traditionally served as a brunch dish but I decided to give it a go as a dinner option and it worked out great! I really love the combination of egg and smoked haddock, it's almost like a very non-traditional Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon! Either way, I think anyone should try this because it's dead easy, and you can use smoked salmon if you cant' find the haddock. Just skip the poaching process and flake it in at the very end with the eggs. As a dinner this fed 2, but you could easily double it, or serve it at a brunch and make the portion smaller! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
200g basmati rice (1c.)
150g undyed smoked haddock
1 onion
½ c. red pepper diced
½ c. frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs - Soft boiled
300ml milk
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3-4 cloves
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
handful fresh coriander
handful fresh parsley
1 medium tomato

To Start:
Begin by poaching the fish in the milk, mustard seeds, cloves and bay leaves. Poach for about 15 minutes then set aside.
Bring the eggs and a small pan up to boil, boil for 4-5 minutes, turn off and take the eggs out and put them in ice water. Set aside

For the Dish:
Dice the onion and peppers.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until hot, toss in the onions, red pepper and garlic. Toss around until fragrant.
Add the curry powder, turmeric, coriander and rice and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Stirring constantly.
When the onions are soft add two cups of water, half the coriander and parsley and bring up to a boil, place the lid on and turn down to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

To Finish:
Remove the haddock from the poaching liquid and flake.
Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.
Dice the tomato.
When the rice is done take off heat, add the fish, the rest of the herbs, half the eggs, tomatoes and frozen peas. Mix thoroughly being careful not to smash the rice.
Serve when hot and garnish with the rest of the egg.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples

I love pork tenderloin, it couldn’t be more simple and delicious. When paired with roasted apples it is a treat for the senses. I do mine very simply by searing in a hot pan and roasting in the oven. This is when a meat thermometer becomes very handy. I like my tenderloin with an internal temperature of 150C I think that allows for a medium cook and the meat still be plenty cooked but maintaining all the moisture. This serves 3, but tenderloins vary in size so get one that will suit your family and keep a look out on the temperature in the thickest part. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
600g pork tenderloin
2-3 apples
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt + pepper
Fresh thyme leaves

To start:
Take your tenderloin out about 30 minutes before you want to cook, this helps the meat get to room temperature and will cook properly through.
Heat the oven to 190C or 350F and on a clean surface spread out a few sprinkles of salt, and the thyme leaves and some of the oil, roll the entire tenderloin in it to cover it thoroughly with salt, thyme and oil.
Heat the rest of the oil in a pan until very hot. Sear the tenderloin on all sides, place on a pan with some chunks of apples and roast for about 40-45 minutes, checking the temperature towards the end.

Cannellini Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale

I absolutely love bean soups, any type I’m there. I got some more kale in the veg box, which I don’t mind so much as long as I have a solution of what to do with it! I had some frozen sausages and some dried cannellini beans and presto, bean soup. I love the smell of beans cooking on the stove all day on a cold day. It’s glorious, and with this recipe there’s plenty to go around and plenty for seconds. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
250g dried cannellini beans (half pound)
4 lean sausages, thawed meat removed from casing
2 c chopped kale
4 large carrots
1 large onion
1 tbsp. bouillon powder
2 tbsp. tomato puree (or tomato paste)
2 liters of water and a big pot
Salt + pepper to taste

To cook:
Rinse the beans and put them in a big pot with the 2 liters of water and turn the heat on high.
Peel and chop the onions and toss them in along with the bouillon powder and tomato paste.
Remove the casings from the sausage and dollop the sausage meat all over the pot (not an exact science here!)
Bring up to a boil and then reduce to low, and simmer for about 2-3hrs or until beans are soft.
Salt to taste when they’re done, and voila!

Bacon and Chocolate Chili with Sweetcorn

Chili is a standby dish in my house, in all kinds of ways. There’s always a base to chili, once you get that down you can really do anything…beans, no beans, meat, no meat, etc… I wanted mine to be simple, I had a little bacon leftover from another recipe and I decided to make chilli! And even better put some chocolate in it! Delicious, everyone should try this! I used a variety of chilli powders, but for the purposes of this recipe, you can use any chilli powder you want, hot or mild, whatever you prefer. This serves 4-6. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 smoked streaky bacon rashers
2 corn on the cobs (kernels removed)
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 400g tin cannellini beans
1 400g tin red kidney beans
1 red pepper
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
¼ c. chilli powder
2 tbsp. cumin
3-4 squares of lindt 75-90% dark chocolate
Salt and pepper to taste

To start:
Chop the onion, pepper, and garlic.
Slice the bacon into pieces.
With a sharp knife and sturdy hand slice the corn kernels from the cob. You can use about 1 cup of frozen or tinned if you’d like.
Get a pot hot, when it’s hot add the bacon and get it sizzling. Brown it a little and render the fat. 2-3mins.
Next add in the red peppers, onions, corn, and garlic. About 3 minutes of cooking.

To Finish:
Add the tinned tomatoes and beans (all undrained), and bring up to a boil.
Add the chili powder and the cumin and simmer for about 30-40 minutes on a low heat.
After it’s boiled down, take it off the heat and add in the chocolate and stir.
Serve hot over rice, or with corn bread.

Pork and Prawn Fried Rice

I absolutely love fried rice. It’s so versatile, so easy and so fast. You can use anything you have leftover, or you can make up some elaborate dish with a few ingredients. I had some frozen pork in the freezer as well as some prawns and decided to bang it out. I hope you like this as much as I did! Ate it right up, this serves two but obviously it can be doubled or tripled to your liking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
150-200g pork shoulder (any cut will do)
175g cooked peeled prawns
1.5 c cooked cold rice
2 cloves garlic
1 red onion diced
1 egg beaten
4 spring onions
150g snow peas
2-4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce
1.5 tbsp. oil

To start:
Boil the pork for about 10 minutes (can do longer for a more tender result). Set aside.
Make sure your rice is cold and cooked, leftover rice is ideal.
Slice the snow peas on the bias.
Slice the spring onions, and dice the onion.

To cook:
In a large pan, preferably a wok (I used a non-stick pan), heat 1 tbsp. of oil.
When hot add the pork, onions, and snow peas and sauté for a few minutes.
When the pork has a nice char on it, add the rice and stir around until the rice starts to stick to the pan.
Add the prawns at this point and stir in with some soy sauce. Stir around about 2 minutes.
Next shove it all to the size and make a hole, turn up the heat and add the remaining oil.
Drop the egg in the oil and stir quickly to scramble. When almost set begin to mix it throughout the entire dish.
Add the spring onions, chilli sauce, and more soy sauce depending on your taste. Serve immediately!

Split Pea Soup with Smokey Bacon

When it’s cold and rainy outside, sometimes you just want to snuggle up with a big bowl of moreish soup, stew, or anything that makes you feel warm and cozy. For me, it’s always beany soups. My mom used to make split pea soup for me all the time growing up. It’s completely simple, and I was able to source ingredients that made it taste just like my moms, which uses a smoked ham hock. It’s difficult to find that here without going to a butcher and putting in a special request so I use smoked streaky bacon. This serves about 4-6 portions depending on how hungry you are! Serve with hot crusty fresh bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
500g green split peas
6 rashers streaky bacon
3-4 carrots
3 garlic cloves
1 whole onion
1 tsp. pepper
Soured cream or yogurt to finish

To start:
Slice the bacon into little strips.
Get a large pot hot, and throw the bacon in there to cook off and get brown and render some fat.
Throw in the peas and 1.5lr of water, or covering it by 4 inches.
Peel and chop the carrot (leave in quite thick chunks).
Dice the onion and garlic and toss in.

To Cook:
Bring that up to a boil and simmer for about 2-3hrs stirring every 30 minutes.
You will know when it’s done as the peas will turn to mush and everything will be one thick stodgy stew.
Serve hot with crusty bread and a dollop of sour cream.

Pork and Prawn Summer Rolls

These are my absolute favourite part of a Vietnamese meal. I always order these before I order my pho or bun thit nuong. I haven’t tried my hand at the fried spring rolls but maybe another time. This is really a no brainer; it’s not difficult at all. I literally can throw these together in a few minutes. The only prep is the vegetables that you want to go inside. I generally get all of the fillings set up and sliced beforehand so that you have everything you need when you’re ready to roll up. They’re such a great snack and actually pretty good for you. This makes 8 rolls. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 Sheets of rice paper
100g vermicelli rice noodles
100g cooked prawns
50g pork shoulder
4 spring onions sliced lengthwise
1 large carrot shredded
50g mint leaves
50g coriander leaves
100g shredded iceberg lettuce
Hoisin sauce and srirracha for dipping

To start:
Place all of your veg in little piles on a large plate or cutting board.
To cook the pork and prawns, bring a small pot of water to boil with a dash of salt.
Drop the pork in first and boil for about five minutes, then add the prawns boil until pink about 1 more minute.
Take out the pork and slice very thinly. Set aside.

To assemble:
In a large bowl pour 1 litre of half boiled water from the kettle in. (If you boil the kettle it will be too hot for you to get the rice paper out).
Get one rice paper and dip it into the water until it goes limp in the warm water, and then dunk the rest of the paper in, only for a few seconds or until it becomes very floppy and pliable.
Pull out and place on a plate try to get it as flat as possible.
Start to add some noodles, across the length of it on the edge closest to you, repeat with carrot, herbs, lettuce, shrimp and pork.
Next fold the sides of the rice paper over the mound and tuck and roll it, folding more rice paper inwards as necessary.
The paper sticks to itself so no need to worry about it coming undone.
Repeat for the rest of the rolls and serve with the hoisin sauce and srirracha for dips.

Smoked Turkey Carbonara with Mushrooms

I love carbonara, but I don’t particularly enjoy the saltiness of the dish. The salt usually comes from the bacon or so I’ve found…I wanted to try my hand at a turkey bacon one with a few simple ingredients. This is so easy to make, and it’s actually not too bad for you if you make it exactly this way. This serves 2, but can easily be doubled Enjoy!

Ingredients:
250g spaghetti
3 turkey bacon rashers (I used aMattesons)
1 small red onion
3 cloves garlic
250g white mushrooms sliced
1 egg yolk
¼ c. freshly grated parmesan
1-2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil

To start:
Slice the bacon into very thin strips.
Slice the mushrooms, onion and garlic.
Get the pasta water up to a boil – put the pasta in when it’s boiling
Grate your cheese, and separate the egg yolk.

To cook:
In a skillet, heat the olive oil.
Add when the pan is hot and get a good crisp on them.
Add the onions and mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms are soft.

To Finish:
Drain the pasta but very quickly, so that you keep a lot of the juice (Ideally dump the pasta in the colander and then quickly put the pan underneath to catch the draining liquid).
Add the drained pasta to the mushroom bacon mixture and stir thoroughly.
Add the egg yolk, pepper and grated cheese.
Add ¼ c. – ½ c. of the reserved pasta liquid to make it a creamy texture.
Serve immediately!

Crispy Chorizo and Prawns on Spinach Couscous

I have to admit, this isn’t totally my recipe idea, I adapted it from a chefs recipe I saw on TV. It was a 15 minute meal special and I didn’t believe him so I made my own. The original recipe was with squid and needless to say I did not like it at all. I decided to try my hand at a prawn one and I really enjoyed it! I just have to post it because it literally took nearly 20 minutes. So so so easy, and everyone needs easy. This is for exactly two servings, but I would just double it if you want to make more! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
150g uncooked prawns
100g chorizo sausage
1 whole pepper, you can mix and match of any color
1 medium onion in halves
¾ c. whole wheat couscous
100g baby spinach
1 tbsp. bouillon powder
1 c. boiling water
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
Yogurt for dolloping

To start:
In a food processor, add the onion, spinach bouillon powder and blitz up until it’s almost a paste, a few seconds.
Add the couscous and stir around.
Next add the boiling water, try to pour it all around.
Pop the lid on the processor and let sit until you’re ready to serve.

To Make the dish and finish:
Slice the pepper, onion, and chorizo.
In a hot pan put the chorizo down until it starts releasing some fat, about 2 minutes.
Next add the peppers and onions and sauté for a good 5-7 minutes until the chorizo crisps and the peppers soften.
Next add the prawns continuing to stir until they get a pink color.
Crush in the garlic and add the honey, stirring around until it gets a nice caramelized color and there’s a real crisp to the veggies.
Next deglaze with the vinegar scraping the bits off the pan, and then you’re done.
Serve hot over the couscous!

Pork and Bacon Sloppy Joes

I had some extra pork mince and I wanted to do something old school and summery, but give it a twist! This was the perfect thing for me, as I’ve never made sloppy Joes from scratch. For any of you that don’t know what a Sloppy Joe is, traditionally it’s beef mince with a sauce made out of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and other spices that make it a really sloppy meat patty you throw on a bun and get messy! It’s a delicious treat and I will be making my version again, which is with pork and bacon! This recipe makes 2-3 depending on how much you want on your bun, enjoy!

Ingredients:
250g pork mince
4 smoked bacon slices
½ onion
½ green pepper
¾ c. ketchup
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt + pepper to taste
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. oil
2 whole wheat baps

To Start:
Dice the onion and pepper fairly small.
Chop the bacon into small pieces.

To cook:
In a large skillet heat the oil, and add the bacon onions and peppers.
Cook until the bacon gets crispy, but don’t burn the onions. About 5 minutes.
Next add the pork mince and break up with a spoon until really fine, until completely cooked a further 5 minutes.
Next add the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, Worcester sauce, garlic powder.
Mix thoroughly and simmer, on low for a couple of minutes until the sauce heats thoroughly.
To serve, plop the mixture on any buns of your choice and enjoy!

Sausage Cassoulet with Bacon

I’ve always been into making casseroles, but I wanted to make a French inspired dish, with sausages and bacon. I thought that I would be in for slaving all day in the kitchen, but what I found was quite the opposite! It was such a simple dinner to throw together. I personally made my own cannellini beans in some stock with onions and carrots, but I would recommend anyone in a hurry to go for tinned beans, which is what I’m writing up the recipe for. This serves 4 people. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 traditional plain sausages
4 large tomatoes
2 tins of cannellini beans (you can use any white beans)
1 glass of white wine
2 large carrots
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
2 slices of smoked bacon
1 tsp. pepper
1 beef stock pot/cube
1 c. water (if needed)
1 tbsp. oil

To start:
Heat oven to 190C or 375F
Chop up the onions, carrot, bacon.
Cut up tomatoes and garlic set aside.

To Cook:
In a large skillet (an ovenproof one is ideal), heat the oil and add the onions carrots and bacon. Sauté a few minutes until the bacon gets a little crispy.
Next add the sausages, stirring constantly for a few minutes.
Next add the glass of wine and simmer until that reduces down by half.
Then add the rest of your ingredients, the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, stock pot, beans (undrained). Bring up to a boil, and then remove from heat. You want a thick stew consistency, so if it's not juicy enough add a little water.

To Finish:
If you’re using an ovenproof dish, stick it in the oven for 30 minutes.
If not, transfer to an oven safe dish, and bake for 30 minutes. Be careful the mixture is nuclear hot!

Easy Dal Curry with Veggies

I’ve made this several times, and each time I add something different, and change it up. It’s so versatile and can be used in so many different ways. I enjoy this as a simple bowl of goodness with a piece of naan bread and a dollop of yogurt and chutney. This also makes amazing leftovers so keep them to eat them! The recipe itself serves about 4. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 c. Dal – red split lentils
1 eggplant
1 large onion
1 chili
1 green pepper
3 large tomatoes (can use tinned)
2 medium potatoes
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. curry paste (I use madras)
3 cups water
1-2 tbsp. butter
Mango chutney
Yogurt

To start:
Chop up the potatoes and add to a large saucepan with the lentils, cumin, half the ginger, coriander, turmeric and water. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a gentle simmer and cover.

Next:
While that’s cooking, chop/dice the eggplant, onion, green pepper, chilli.
In a pan big enough to hold all the veggies, heat the butter until melted and add the chopped vegetables, and crush in the garlic.
Stir around until veggies become fragrant and then add the curry paste, fenugreek seeds, and remaining ginger, continuously stirring.

To finish:
Once the veggies have softened, add them to the lentils and potatoes and stir around. You may need to add a bit of water if it’s too thick.
Dice the tomatoes and toss in.
Salt to taste and leave to simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Serve hot with naan bread, or rice, and a dollop of chutney and yogurt.

Spicy Chicken and Chorizo Jambalaya

I have made this recipe before, but I wanted to make an original version without any subsitutions because the previous recipe was made with reduced fat sausage and brown rice. Which is wonderful, but I was interested in the original version for this recipe. It’s a very large recipe so I cut it in half, if you want to feed a crowd I would suggest doubling it, and you might even have leftovers for the fridge! I like my jambalaya spicy, but you can add any level of spice that you prefer. Also I know that in the US it might be harder to get hold of Spanish chorizo, just use any pork sausage smoked with a lot of flavour. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
250g chicken breasts diced
100g Spanish chorizo
1 red pepper
1 large onion
6 spring onions
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 c long grain rice
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
½ tsp. cayenne
½ tsp. salt
1 chicken stock cube
2-3 c. boiling water
1 tbsp. olive oil

To start:
Dice onions, peppers, chicken and chorizo. Crush the garlic and set aside separately.
Slice the spring onions and halve the cherry tomatoes and set aside.

To cook:
In a large deep pan heat the oil until hot, and then add the chicken and chorizo. Stir constantly about 5 minutes.
To that add the brown sugar and garlic, stirring continuously. 3 minutes.
Next add the peppers and onion stir around for a further 3 minutes.
Next add the rice and 1 tbsp. paprika, stir until incorporated.
Add cayenne, salt, chicken stock cube, Cajun seasoning, remaining 1 tbsp. paprika and 2 cups of water.
Bring up to a boil, then turn down to low heat and cover for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes check for doneness, you might need to add a little more water.
Add the more than half the spring onions and half the cherry tomatoes (leave some for garnish), cover for a further 5 minutes.
Adjust seasoning and stir thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Note: This is a great recipe with shrimp as well!