Gamberi Linguine

Gamberi Linguine - or prawns and pasta to us heathens!

I absolutely adore Italian food and prawns.  This lovely offering is a personal favourite.  I love going out for a meal then having a go at my own version of what I ate.  I discovered the basis for this dish whilst in Sicily and NO there is no horse going on here!  It is quick and easy to assemble but tastes great and is sure to wow your family or guests.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pack of tiger prawns (be sure to thoroughly defrost if frozen
• Teaspoon of chopped chilli (gourmet garden is great)
• Half a bulb of garlic (whizz them into a paste use more or less according to your taste)
• 1 diced onion
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes (on this occasion I'd go for a tesco finest or other supermarket version of similar quality)
• Fresh Parmesan
• One pack of Linguine (fresh or dry - your choice)

METHOD TO THE MADNESS:

Start the linguine cooking process then its pressure time!

Using olive oil and a wok, lightly cook the prawns. garlic and onion, adding the chilli last.

Quickly add the tinned tomatoes whilst stirring.  Transfer to a pan and leave on a very low heat whilst the pasta gets ready.  Rip up the basil leaves and put into the sauce.  

I'd suggest draining the linguine in a large bowl then adding the sauce and stirring.  This way the pasta gets coated evenly and the plate won't be drowned in sauce.  Serve onto plates using tongs then shave parmesan on top for taste and decoration.

Seasoning is in the eye of the beholder so make sure there is black pepper and salt on the table.

There it is - cooking time around 25 mins all in, serve with bread and oils to be more posh!

    

Shepherd-less Pie

Since I am bored after adding content (or BS) to our website and managing to infiltrate/destroy the whole navigation section, I feel I should quickly redeem myself by cooking one of Alex's favourites.  No meat, sorry husband, but it won't disappoint too much and is low in fat! Shepherd-Less Pie with med veg should do the trick!

I'm not a total fan of quorn, but the mince is certainly un-rivalled and most the most versatile and palatable of the lot.  This serves 4 and freezes well.

Shepherd-less Pie (not the greatest of presentation!)

THE SHEPHERD-LESS BIT:

• Quorn mince - allow 2-3oz per person
• 1 medium Onion thinly chopped
• A squirt of tomato puree
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• A squirt of Marmite (Don't freak out, I hate it with a passion but its the key ingredient for a tasty treat)
• Some fresh spinach
• garlic cloves (minced)

Quite simply add all the ingredients (except the spinach) into a wok with some pre-heated olive oil.  Cook until browned then place the mix in your casserole dish.  On top of this sprinkle the fresh spinach to create a layer between this and the topping.

MASH TOPPING (Do this whilst the above cooks to save time):

• Good quality potatoes (approx 3 per person)
• Dried Parsley
• Pure Spread
• Extra-light soft cheese
• Ground Black Pepper

Everyone can make mash.  Boil your potatoes until soft - add a sweet potato to the mix if you are feeling adventurous.  Use a masher (it's not Come Dine With Me so no ricer required), add a tablespoon of Pure spread and soft cheese and a generous sprinkling of parsley and black pepper.  That's all folks!

Add to the top of the "shepherd-less bit" then sprinkle with grated parmesan being sure that it is evenly covering the dish.  It should look something like this: 

MEDITERRANEAN VEG:

• 1 courgette (sliced)
• 1 red onion (Roughly chopped into segments)
• 1 red pepper (roughly chopped)
• 1 yellow pepper (roughly chopped)
• Chunks of Beetroot
• Carrots (thinly sliced)
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olives if you fancy
• A good pinch of Herbs de province
• Black Pepper
• A good pinch of sea salt

Mix the veg together and place on a roasting tin for 40 minutes turning occasionally.  Cook the pie for 25 mins or until a crisp top forms.

Speedy, tasty and great for all the family! Meat? Who needs it!!

The Sandy Lasagneee

I am pretty rubbish at doing some foods.  Lasagne is one of them, but Mum taught me the ways of the pasta sheets.  From a vegetarian point of view, this is a fantastic way of using quorn because let's face it, vegetable lasagne - the one with soggy bits of zucchini and peppers layered with lumpy white sauce - really doesn't advertise a life without meat very well at all!

Here is the dealio!

THE FAKE MEAT SAUCE:

• Around 2 oz of quorn mince per person (so 8 oz for four people)
• 1 Onion
• 1 Chilli (de-seeded)
• 5 Cloves of garlic (no need to chop)
• 1 red pepper (diced)
• Small pack of small mushrooms
• 5 black olives
• A shake of Worcestershire Sauce
• Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• Teaspoon of Oregano
• A handful of Basil Leaves
• One Packet of Passata

*For a lasagne, I think it this part should be as smooth as possible so whilst softening the onion, quorn and pepper in olive oil on a medium heat, take the mushrooms, garlic, chilli and basil and blitz them with a hand blender to form a paste.  Add everything together in a pan with the passata, season and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

• 400ml milk
• 40g butter (very naughty, I know!)
• 20g Plain Flour
• A handful of grated fresh parmesan

*Heat the milk and butter seperately then add everything a bit at a time to the butter.  

ASSEMBLY:

*I choose fresh lasagne sheets purely because they don't need cooking because they are already soft.  Release your inner brick layer and alternate between the fake meat sauce and white sauce until it can go no higher!  Top with a very generous portion of grated parmesan and shove it in the oven for 25 minutes!  When finished, decorate with fresh basil.

There you have it!  Serve with garlic bread, balsamic tomato salad, jacket spud and rocket - any, all or none - up to you!

There you have it - Mum knew best on this one!!

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(Fake and real) Coq Au Vin a la QOTS

Quorn "Chicken Style" pieces are not so good, I wouldn't even go there with the cubed offering - they really are proper minging.  When the pieces are well enough disguised, they actually become a very worthy substitute for those little, pumped with shit chicks! I will be laying this recipe out for real and fake chicken as their are only a tiny few tweeks needed.  This is so easy and tasty it should be banned!  Get that casserole pot or slow cooker ready to work it's magic!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion roughly chopped
1 carrot thinly sliced
1 large leek thinly sliced (into rings so as easy to seperate slightly)
1 pack of baby mushrooms
1 green pepper
3 cloves of garlic
Several green olives
1 glass of decent red wine (I know, what a waste, but you can drink the rest whilst preparing!)
3/4 pint of Vegetable Stock (or chicken stock)
One bag of fake chicken (or skinless and boneless chicken thighs)
3 Anchovies (or a small pack of pancetta)

2 teaspoons of Herbs de Provence
2 teaspoons of Majoram
3 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary (don't break it up as it needs removing at the end)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste)

HOW TO DO IT:

• Soften the onions and peppers in a frying pan using olive oil then add to the pot
• Seal the Chicken in the same frying pan (for extra flavour - no need for the fake chicken stick it straight in the pot) - add to the pot!
• Placed the chopped garlic straight in along with all the other vegetables
• Add your stock of choice
• Chuck in the anchovies (or pancetta - both ingredients are their to add flavour)
• Add as many olives as you like, they are a great Mediterranean addition.
•  Add the stock, red wine and herbs but save the seasoning until ready to serve.

After this, slow cook for three hours or oven bake for around 2 hours on a very low heat.  Open that second bottle of red whilst you wait!

If the dish is a little watery simply thicken with cornflour before serving.

This dish goes well with roast potatoes, mash or on it's own with a french stick!

Three Bean Chilli

Its no secret.  I love beans.  Not baked beans so much but give me a bean salad and I could eat day in, day out!  This particular recipe is most versatile so if a mega bean fest is not for you, stick some beef or quorn mince in instead.  This is simple, easy to prepare and very tasty whilst being much lower in fat.  

I suggest cooking this dish slowly and gradually to seal in the flavours so I always opt for a casserole dish.

Ingredients (a guide - it is down to personal taste in the end)

1 medium brown onion (diced)
1 large green pepper (diced)
5 Cloves of garlic
1 medium chilli (or as many as you dare!)
1 can of cannellini beans
1 can of haricot beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 vegetable stock cube
One pack of Passata
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
3 teaspoons of hot paprika
3 squirts of Gourmet Garden chilli paste
2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
Dark Chocolate (70% - four pieces)

How it goes!

Chop the pepper, onion and chilli and mince the garlic (mincing releases the flavour and avoids you guinea pigs getting a gob full of garlic).  Soften in your casserole dish then drain the beans and add to the pot.

Add the passata whilst cooking on a low heat.  Add the stock cube and stir.  Squirt in the chilli paste then add the other ingredients.  You must taste along the way to get your winning combination - everyone is different.  When you are happy, add the chocolate.  I use a dark chocolate sauce for this -

To ensure all the flavours have fused and the beans have softened slightly put in the oven at 140 degrees for 40 minutes or cook in the lowest heat on the hob for 25 minutes.  

Serve with rice or tortilla wraps with soured cream, guacamole and salsa with grated cheese and jalapeno chilli's for that extra kick.

Paneer and Spinach Balti

I am no fan of tins and jars, but Indian food contains so many different combinations of spices that need such fine balancing it could take all day and night - not appropriate when tending to the house and working hard.  This is one of the only times I will cheat!

Paneer (Indian Cheese suitable for vegetarians) is not unlike haloumi in that it never fully melts.  It absorbs flavours better than any meat would and has a most palatable texture - if it's good enough for Shakils then it's good enough for my kitchen!  You can, of course, substitute the cheese for the meat or fish of your choice.  

First up, the sauce:

Balti Paste (this is not sauce but forms the basis for the recipe - Tesco are particularly good for paste)
Add a small pack of Passata
Soften one onion, five cloves of garlic and one red chilli (deseeded) in olive oil then add to the sauce
Add a teaspoon of Turmeric and Garam Massala powder

How to prepare the Paneer (or Indian Cheese):

Roughly cube one pack of Paneer cheese and lightly fry in olive oil until the sides start to brown. Remember to keep turning the cheese over as it is very sensitive to heat (and so was my arm when hot fat splattered on me!)

Add to the sauce and start to gently heat on a low setting.

After the sauce has slowly cooked over 20 minutes, add around 200g of raw spinach to the mix.

Turn off the hob and wait until the mix has cooled down completely (this seals in the flavours) then when ready eat, put the sauce back on for 15 minutes and make your choice of rice.

Serve with naan, poppadoms and chutneys - we use our homemade chutneys and pickles - just ask if you want any !

Seabass with Samphire

SEABASS ON SAMPHIRE or WITH FETA SALAD 

 

These two variations on a theme satisfy meat eaters and pescetarians alike! (Serves 2)

Sea bass Preparation (build as you go):

• 2 frozen Sea Bass Fillets (Tesco is good and frozen is fresher)

• Squeeze of Lemon

• One Chopped Small Garlic Bulb smothered over the two fillets

• Sundried Tomatoes (at least 4 pieces on each piece of fish)

• Mozarella Balls placed inbetween the tomatoes (Sainsbury's every day is good)

• Basil Leaves on top of this

(Add sliced pancetta on the top to satisfy the meat eaters)

• Don't over-season due to the saltiness of the samphire 

Cook at 170 degrees for 30 minutes

Cooking Samphire          

There are man ways to cook this interesting greenery.  I prefer to boil it for no more than four minutes as it ends up soggy! Add a squeeze of lemon and black pepper before laying out on the plate.  Carefully place your seabass on top of the samphire for nice presentation.  


After this it is up to you what you do.  We like salad with this dish and vary what we do.  Feta salad is great as is beetroot salad.  Creamy dressings or a simple balsamic glaze pep up the salad thing.  I love deli peppers stuffed with peppers as they make the rabbit food more interesting too.  Wedges go well with it, although we tend to find that after eating all this rich (but not calorific/fatty) food, potatoes aren't really needed.


Easy and flavoursome!

 
 
 

Introduction!

It is tough to find common ground when a non-meat eater and a carnivore set up home together.  In this blog I shall be sharing some of my successful recipes that for the most part reach the happy medium where everyone gets a little of what they fancy!  

I first ventured into the vegetarian side of things for a long period of time through my teenage years and it was tough trying to find anything worth eating.  Why did I go back to chewing on animals? Quite simply a combination of laziness and lack of money whilst at university.  This time round, it is not about cute little animals getting killed but as a direct result of the horse meat scandal and the fact that the Government and supermarkets have quite blatantly been lying about the welfare of certain animals, in particular pigs.  It is not that horse was in the burgers but the fact that it wasn't on the packet.  It is a right of everyone to know what they are putting in their mouths and quite frankly I was disgusted when I saw some of the conditions these horses were living in.  Chucked down a shoot to be strangled then chopped up.  The worst bit being that some of the horses were still alive as the hanging hadn't been done properly.  

I was a little dubious about how to go about our different ways of eating but I needn't have been.  The products available today are diverse and more importantly very tasty.  This is great, but I am a great believer that food made from scratch is far better than processed foods and would like to think that in a week at least four meals are created in the kitchen rather than out of a packet.  It used to be every meal in our house, but there has to be a compromise somewhere.  There is always a salad on offer when vegetables aren't on the menu!

The major spanner in the works of late has been my new found hatred of fish.  Prawns  (the big ones not the 1970's Prawn Cocktail ones) are my ultimate favourite thing - as a result of the red snapper I ate in St Lucia fish and seafood are off the menu.  I have been trying to disguise it all with no joy - I am off fish for now.

So, I hope this blog proves useful for vegetarians, pescatarians and meat eaters - there is something for everyone!