The cooking thread

[Northernhibee]

A little thread for sharing recipe ideas and so forth, whether it's quick stuff to knock up after work or a full blown meal that takes ages.

Got my own version of a cheap one hour (and particularly unauthentic but still tasty) cassoulet that I swear by for after work, on the way home from work I pass a supermarket that often has "use by today" meat very cheap so often use this for a cheap and healthy meal.

You need:

A pack of beef or pork link sausages
Some other meat or duck of your choice
A tin of berlotti beans
A jar of tomato and garlic pasta sauce
A pack of button mushrooms
One onion
Small pack of smoked lardons
Some olives (optional)
Two fresh chillies (optional)
Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano or parsley work for me)
Red wine (if you have any spare, totally optional)



Cook your sausages and meat in a pyrex dish in the oven untill just cooked and no more (one might need to go in after the other)
Add the pasta sauce, chopped mushrooms, finely chopped onion, drained and rinsed berlotti beans, chopped olives, fresh chilli to taste and your herbs. If you really want to add some of the red wine do it now but it makes it a cheap meal to leave it out.
Quickly fry your lardons untill crispy and add to your dish.
Cook partially covered at around 170 degrees celcius for around 20-30 minutes.
Remove, dish up and serve, it's really good with some home made mashed potato.


As I say, totally unauthentic but it's got the beans, sausages and meats and some really nice goodies in there to really make it a tasty, filling and freezable tea. Takes around an hour if you're really motoring and can be done in the one dish.

[Northernhibee]

This is something I do if I'm trying to impress, very good if you're cooking for a significant other (works for me) :wink:

Vanilla panna cotta with home made raspberry and elderflower sauce and home made honeycomb;

For the panna cotta I just use this recipe: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vanillapannacotta_87907

Raspberry sauce:

Take a punnet of raspberries and put them in a heavy based saucepan on a low heat.
Dust them with icing sugar so they're coated.
Add the juice of half a lemon
When the berries are beginning to let off a little juice, mash them up.
Add a small splash of elderflower cordial and stir in
Pass through a sieve and place in the fridge.


For the honeycomb:


Get a heavy based saucepan on a high heat and add some caster sugar and golden syrup (Ratio about 65/35)
Keep shaking the pan to move it around (try to avoid stirring it as this can cause crystals to form)
Once the sugar has totally melted into a thick caramel add a teaspoon and a half of bicarbonate of soda and now stir in.
This will bubble up. Once it has risen as much as it's going to take the pot off the heat, dip it in cold water and transfer the mix ASAP to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Leave to cool untill hard.


Take your panna cotta and place it in the middle of the plate. Pour some of the raspberry sauce on the side (which should be slightly tart with the lemon juice) and crumble a few pieces of the honeycomb over the top. Add a sprig of mint for presentation.

[nonshinyfinish]

A little thread for sharing recipe ideas and so forth, whether it's quick stuff to knock up after work or a full blown meal that takes ages.

Got my own version of a cheap one hour (and particularly unauthentic but still tasty) cassoulet that I swear by for after work, on the way home from work I pass a supermarket that often has "use by today" meat very cheap so often use this for a cheap and healthy meal.

You need:

A pack of beef or pork link sausages
Some other meat or duck of your choice
A tin of berlotti beans
A jar of tomato and garlic pasta sauce
A pack of button mushrooms
One onion
Small pack of smoked lardons
Some olives (optional)
Two fresh chillies (optional)
Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano or parsley work for me)
Red wine (if you have any spare, totally optional)



Cook your sausages and meat in a pyrex dish in the oven untill just cooked and no more (one might need to go in after the other)
Add the pasta sauce, chopped mushrooms, finely chopped onion, drained and rinsed berlotti beans, chopped olives, fresh chilli to taste and your herbs. If you really want to add some of the red wine do it now but it makes it a cheap meal to leave it out.
Quickly fry your lardons untill crispy and add to your dish.
Cook partially covered at around 170 degrees celcius for around 20-30 minutes.
Remove, dish up and serve, it's really good with some home made mashed potato.


As I say, totally unauthentic but it's got the beans, sausages and meats and some really nice goodies in there to really make it a tasty, filling and freezable tea. Takes around an hour if you're really motoring and can be done in the one dish.

I'm a big fan of just-bung-it-all-in recipes like this, I'll probably give it a try.

[kdhibees1]

A little thread for sharing recipe ideas and so forth, whether it's quick stuff to knock up after work or a full blown meal that takes ages.

Got my own version of a cheap one hour (and particularly unauthentic but still tasty) cassoulet that I swear by for after work, on the way home from work I pass a supermarket that often has "use by today" meat very cheap so often use this for a cheap and healthy meal.

You need:

A pack of beef or pork link sausages
Some other meat or duck of your choice
A tin of berlotti beans
A jar of tomato and garlic pasta sauce
A pack of button mushrooms
One onion
Small pack of smoked lardons
Some olives (optional)
Two fresh chillies (optional)
Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano or parsley work for me)
Red wine (if you have any spare, totally optional)



Cook your sausages and meat in a pyrex dish in the oven untill just cooked and no more (one might need to go in after the other)
Add the pasta sauce, chopped mushrooms, finely chopped onion, drained and rinsed berlotti beans, chopped olives, fresh chilli to taste and your herbs. If you really want to add some of the red wine do it now but it makes it a cheap meal to leave it out.
Quickly fry your lardons untill crispy and add to your dish.
Cook partially covered at around 170 degrees celcius for around 20-30 minutes.
Remove, dish up and serve, it's really good with some home made mashed potato.


As I say, totally unauthentic but it's got the beans, sausages and meats and some really nice goodies in there to really make it a tasty, filling and freezable tea. Takes around an hour if you're really motoring and can be done in the one dish.
Sounds decent! Printed for a wee try!

[Scouse Hibee]

I just had to post the recipe for a traditional pan of scouse.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6 people

Half a Pound of Stewing Steak
Half a Pound of Lambs Breast
A Large Onion
1lb of Carrots
5lb of Potatoes
2 Oxo Cubes
2 Teaspoons of Vegatable Oil
Worcester Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Water

HOW TO COOK
Takes 4 hours of slow cooking

Cut the meat into large cubes and fry in the vegatable oil until lightly browned all over. You may wish to add some Worcester Sauce at this point for added flavour.

Transfer the meat to a large saucepan and add the onion that should have been chopped into large chunks. Follow this by chopping the carrot into medallions and place this on the meat. Peel and then Finely dice 1lb of the potatoes and place on top of the carrots.

Fill the pan with cold water until it is half full. Break up the Oxo cubes and sprinkle into the water. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Let the pan simmer gently, stirring occasionally. The large pieces of onion will start to break up and the potato will become soft and will make the final sauce thick.

Simmer for a total of two hours, then add the remaining potatoes that should have been peeled and roughly chopped, along with a few splashes of Worcester Sauce. Then simmer for another two hours.

Serve piping hot with red cabbage, beetroot, pickled onions and crusty bread. You may add Ketchup and HP for flavouring.

[Northernhibee]

I just had to post the recipe for a traditional pan of scouse.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6 people

Half a Pound of Stewing Steak
Half a Pound of Lambs Breast
A Large Onion
1lb of Carrots
5lb of Potatoes
2 Oxo Cubes
2 Teaspoons of Vegatable Oil
Worcester Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Water

HOW TO COOK
Takes 4 hours of slow cooking

Cut the meat into large cubes and fry in the vegatable oil until lightly browned all over. You may wish to add some Worcester Sauce at this point for added flavour.

Transfer the meat to a large saucepan and add the onion that should have been chopped into large chunks. Follow this by chopping the carrot into medallions and place this on the meat. Peel and then Finely dice 1lb of the potatoes and place on top of the carrots.

Fill the pan with cold water until it is half full. Break up the Oxo cubes and sprinkle into the water. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Let the pan simmer gently, stirring occasionally. The large pieces of onion will start to break up and the potato will become soft and will make the final sauce thick.

Simmer for a total of two hours, then add the remaining potatoes that should have been peeled and roughly chopped, along with a few splashes of Worcester Sauce. Then simmer for another two hours.

Serve piping hot with red cabbage, beetroot, pickled onions and crusty bread. You may add Ketchup and HP for flavouring.

You ****ing well won't add ketchup or HP to that! :grrrr:

[Scouse Hibee]

You ****ing well won't add ketchup or HP to that! :grrrr:

:greengrin Never mind all this seasoning of food at the table with salt & pepper/adding sauce will insult the chef crap, eat it how you like it is my motto.

My corned beef hash with lashings of vinegar, pepper and HP sauce is the business.

[nonshinyfinish]

I just had to post the recipe for a traditional pan of scouse.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6 people

Half a Pound of Stewing Steak
Half a Pound of Lambs Breast
A Large Onion
1lb of Carrots
5lb of Potatoes
2 Oxo Cubes
2 Teaspoons of Vegatable Oil
Worcester Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Water

HOW TO COOK
Takes 4 hours of slow cooking

Cut the meat into large cubes and fry in the vegatable oil until lightly browned all over. You may wish to add some Worcester Sauce at this point for added flavour.

Transfer the meat to a large saucepan and add the onion that should have been chopped into large chunks. Follow this by chopping the carrot into medallions and place this on the meat. Peel and then Finely dice 1lb of the potatoes and place on top of the carrots.

Fill the pan with cold water until it is half full. Break up the Oxo cubes and sprinkle into the water. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Let the pan simmer gently, stirring occasionally. The large pieces of onion will start to break up and the potato will become soft and will make the final sauce thick.

Simmer for a total of two hours, then add the remaining potatoes that should have been peeled and roughly chopped, along with a few splashes of Worcester Sauce. Then simmer for another two hours.

Serve piping hot with red cabbage, beetroot, pickled onions and crusty bread. You may add Ketchup and HP for flavouring.

Never had scouse, but from this recipes it sounds more-or-less like stovies. That is to to say, it sounds amazing.

[Scouse Hibee]

Never had scouse, but from this recipes it sounds more-or-less like stovies. That is to to say, it sounds amazing.


No mate, I liken stovies (well the ones I have been served here) have never made it myself, to be a sloppier version of what I was brought up with known as corned beef hash, scouse is more like a thickened stew.

[easty]

No mate, I liken stovies (well the ones I have been served here) have never made it myself, to be a sloppier version of what I was brought up with known as corned beef hash, scouse is more like a thickened stew.

corned beef hash is nowt like stovies, at least how I make them anyway.

Corned Beef Hash Easty Style

Potatoes - boil them mash them up with butter and pepper
Corned Beef - remove from tin, cut it up into more manageable sized bits of corned beefy goodness
Beans - HP all the way, Heinz are a poor substitute. Microwave.

Mash the corned beef into the mashed tatties
Pour over the beans and mix them in.
Serve with a side of buttery cabbage.


Stovies Easty Style -Usually made on a monday after a sunday roast.

Leftover beef, cut into bitesize chunks.
Potatoes slices into discs about 1.5cm thick, and par boiled.
Swede cubed, and par boiled.
Carrots diced, and par boiled.
Beef stock.

Layer or potatoes.
Layer of swede and carrots.
Layer of meat.
Layer or potatoes.
Layer of swede and carrots.
Layer of meat.
Layer of potatoes.
Submerge in stock.
Oven for ages.
Done.

:greengrin

[Scouse Hibee]

corned beef hash is nowt like stovies, at least how I make them anyway.

Corned Beef Hash Easty Style

Potatoes - boil them mash them up with butter and pepper
Corned Beef - remove from tin, cut it up into more manageable sized bits of corned beefy goodness
Beans - HP all the way, Heinz are a poor substitute. Microwave.

Mash the corned beef into the mashed tatties
Pour over the beans and mix them in.
Serve with a side of buttery cabbage.


Stovies Easty Style -Usually made on a monday after a sunday roast.

Leftover beef, cut into bitesize chunks.
Potatoes slices into discs about 1.5cm thick, and par boiled.
Swede cubed, and par boiled.
Carrots diced, and par boiled.
Beef stock.

Layer or potatoes.
Layer of swede and carrots.
Layer of meat.
Layer or potatoes.
Layer of swede and carrots.
Layer of meat.
Layer of potatoes.
Submerge in stock.
Oven for ages.
Done.

:greengrin

Your corned beef hash sounds pish and is a poor imitation of the real thing :greengrin I will post my "proper" recipe later.

As for your stovies I am at the mercy of the various offerings I have been given since coming to Scotland, none of which remotely match your description

Corned Beef Hash -Cheap, Easy Cheerful and Filling!

Ingredients
5lb Potatoes
1 Large Tin Corned Beef
2 Large Onions
Cooking Oil of your choice

Method
Boil Potatoes until soft
Lightly fry in oil of your choice two onions (chopped coarsely)


Cut Corned Beef into small Cubes
Thoroughly mash the ingredients together adding knob of butter and pepper (add onions and corned beef gradually it’s easier)
Once thoroughly mashed together transfer to oven proof dish and smooth off top with fork leaving deep lines
Place in pre heated oven 220°c for about thirty minutes or until top is golden brown and crisp
Serve with Branston Baked Beans (other varieties are crap)

[easty]

Your corned beef hash sounds pish and is a poor imitation of the real thing :greengrin I will post my "proper" recipe later.

As for your stovies I am at the mercy of the various offerings I have been given since coming to Scotland, none of which remotely match your description

Corned Beef Hash -Cheap, Easy Cheerful and Filling!

Ingredients
5lb Potatoes
1 Large Tin Corned Beef
2 Large Onions
Cooking Oil of your choice

Method
Boil Potatoes until soft
Lightly fry in oil of your choice two onions (chopped coarsely)


Cut Corned Beef into small Cubes
Thoroughly mash the ingredients together adding knob of butter and pepper (add onions and corned beef gradually it’s easier)
Once thoroughly mashed together transfer to oven proof dish and smooth off top with fork leaving deep lines
Place in pre heated oven 220°c for about thirty minutes or until top is golden brown and crisp
Serve with Branston Baked Beans (other varieties are crap)

You're absolutely right about the branston beans! No idea why I said HP as I meant Branston!

[Northernhibee]

Sounds decent! Printed for a wee try!

What I love about it is you can swap all sorts of meats in it (my local Asda had diced beef, cumberland sausages and bacon lardons reduced to 20p each as it was use by today and they were an hour to closing) so with a 50p tin of canellini beans, a quid jar of pasta sauce (you can even just use passatta if you have the herbs and spices in your kitchen), less than a quids worth of mushrooms and an onion and you've got a really cheap, filling and freezable tea.

[easty]

What I love about it is you can swap all sorts of meats in it (my local Asda had diced beef, cumberland sausages and bacon lardons reduced to 20p each as it was use by today and they were an hour to closing) so with a 50p tin of canellini beans, a quid jar of pasta sauce (you can even just use passatta if you have the herbs and spices in your kitchen), less than a quids worth of mushrooms and an onion and you've got a really cheap, filling and freezable tea.

On topic of meat bargains, I was in Tesco today and they had gammon joints reduced from £5-50 to 55p! I took the last 2 and they're now in my freezer.

[brian6-2]

wee bit off topic but best pie's in the toon?

has to be baines.

[Scouse Hibee]

wee bit off topic but best pie's in the toon?

has to be baines.


Bains at Stenhouse or McGills of Currie for me.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Should this thread not be for female posters?

[nonshinyfinish]

A little thread for sharing recipe ideas and so forth, whether it's quick stuff to knock up after work or a full blown meal that takes ages.

Got my own version of a cheap one hour (and particularly unauthentic but still tasty) cassoulet that I swear by for after work, on the way home from work I pass a supermarket that often has "use by today" meat very cheap so often use this for a cheap and healthy meal.

You need:

A pack of beef or pork link sausages
Some other meat or duck of your choice
A tin of berlotti beans
A jar of tomato and garlic pasta sauce
A pack of button mushrooms
One onion
Small pack of smoked lardons
Some olives (optional)
Two fresh chillies (optional)
Fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano or parsley work for me)
Red wine (if you have any spare, totally optional)



Cook your sausages and meat in a pyrex dish in the oven untill just cooked and no more (one might need to go in after the other)
Add the pasta sauce, chopped mushrooms, finely chopped onion, drained and rinsed berlotti beans, chopped olives, fresh chilli to taste and your herbs. If you really want to add some of the red wine do it now but it makes it a cheap meal to leave it out.
Quickly fry your lardons untill crispy and add to your dish.
Cook partially covered at around 170 degrees celcius for around 20-30 minutes.
Remove, dish up and serve, it's really good with some home made mashed potato.


As I say, totally unauthentic but it's got the beans, sausages and meats and some really nice goodies in there to really make it a tasty, filling and freezable tea. Takes around an hour if you're really motoring and can be done in the one dish.

Made this today, tasty. It's officially been added to my repertoire.

[Northernhibee]

Made this today, tasty. It's officially been added to my repertoire.

The Northernhibee 'GIRFUY Jambos' cookbook goes on sale soon.

[Treadstone]

The Northernhibee 'GIRFUY Jambos' cookbook goes on sale soon.

Done this in slow cooker. Swapped lardons for chorizo. Will probably use tin of tomatoes instead of jar of tomato and garlic sauce next time. Should be a crowd pleaser in autumn and winter. Good stuff.

[Pete]

Bains at Stenhouse or McGills of Currie for me.

Baines are nice but over-rated. They live off their reputation.

Morrison street ones are better, as are Simpsons at carrick knowe in my humble opinion.

I would try one of the ones from currie but there's never any left. If Neil Berry gets there before you you've no chance.

[Pete]

Should this thread not be for female posters?

This is man food....and men are the best cooks.:greengrin

[Sylar]

Usually make this in the autumn but was handed a fresh butternut squash and bag of curly kale yesterday so made it today.

Spiced Butternut Squash and Curly Kale Crumble
1 x large white onion (chopped as you like)
2 x garlic cloves (diced finely)
2 x leeks (sliced into decent sized discs)
large bunch (around 200g) of curly kale, washed and chopped
half a butternut squash (c.200g) peel outer skin, chopped into cubes and roasted in the oven with oil for 15-20 minutes
1 x 440g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x tsp of garam masala
1 x tsp of ground fenugreek
1 x tsp of mild curry powder
salt/pepper

For the crumble:

150g plain flour (with a pinch of salt)
200g butter (cubed)
150g porridge oats

1. Preheat the oven to c.200C/GM6
2. Heat some oil in a pan (needs to be a decent size) and add the onions/garlic and cook til soft
3. Throw in the leeks and kale and cook until soft/wilted
4. Add in the pre-roasted butternut squash, tinned tomatoes and spices - cook for another 5 minutes til soft and spoon into an ovenproof dish
5. Make the crumble - rub the flour, butter and oats all together til the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
6. Top the mixture with the crumble and bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling/crumble is golden brown.

Easy dish and incredibly tasty.

[-Jonesy-]

As an aside I've recently just moved back to Edinburgh after a long stint away working in kitchens elsewhere in Scotland and just wonder if anyone here does cook for a living like me.

[Marabou Stork]

As an aside I've recently just moved back to Edinburgh after a long stint away working in kitchens elsewhere in Scotland and just wonder if anyone here does cook for a living like me.

Yep.

Don't live in Edinburgh any more though.

[Northernhibee]

Usually make this in the autumn but was handed a fresh butternut squash and bag of curly kale yesterday so made it today.

Spiced Butternut Squash and Curly Kale Crumble
1 x large white onion (chopped as you like)
2 x garlic cloves (diced finely)
2 x leeks (sliced into decent sized discs)
large bunch (around 200g) of curly kale, washed and chopped
half a butternut squash (c.200g) peel outer skin, chopped into cubes and roasted in the oven with oil for 15-20 minutes
1 x 440g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x tsp of garam masala
1 x tsp of ground fenugreek
1 x tsp of mild curry powder
salt/pepper

For the crumble:

150g plain flour (with a pinch of salt)
200g butter (cubed)
150g porridge oats

1. Preheat the oven to c.200C/GM6
2. Heat some oil in a pan (needs to be a decent size) and add the onions/garlic and cook til soft
3. Throw in the leeks and kale and cook until soft/wilted
4. Add in the pre-roasted butternut squash, tinned tomatoes and spices - cook for another 5 minutes til soft and spoon into an ovenproof dish
5. Make the crumble - rub the flour, butter and oats all together til the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
6. Top the mixture with the crumble and bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling/crumble is golden brown.

Easy dish and incredibly tasty.

Where's the ****ing meat:grr:

[Northernhibee]

King prawn and chorizo fajitas

You will need:

Three cooking chorizo sausages (you can get these from Morrisons or Asda)
One pack of raw king prawns, peeled (I use Aldis, very good)
Three peppers of mixed colours (cut into batons)
One red onion (finely diced)
One clove of garlic
Two tortilla wraps per person
One little gem lettuce
Mild fresh chilli
Fresh coriander
Saffron (can replace with turmeric)
Limes



Finely chop some coriander and add to a bowl with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of fresh lime and a little olive oil. Add your prawns, coat them in the mix and leave to marinade in the fridge for 60-90 minutes.
Cut your chorizo into 1cm cubes. Fry in a little olive oil untill you get some colour on your chorizo and it has released its oil
Use a garlic press to squeeze your garlic clove into the pan and add your prawns to the pan. Add a half teaspoon of saffron or turmeric.
After a couple of minutes add your mixed peppers and fry untill cooked, mixing as soon as the prawns are cooked.
Grate the zest of a lime into your mix and add some fresh coriander. Remove from the heat.
Shred your lettuce, toast your tortilla and add the mix into each tortilla as well as a handful of lettuce. Have the diced onion, finely sliced chilli and also quarters of lime on offer to add as required.


Really simple but really, really tasty, always goes down well.

[Sylar]

Where's the ****ing meat:grr:

You can add some sausage into it if you simply can't go without but I prefer it without! :greengrin

[Northernhibee]

You can add some sausage into it if you simply can't go without but I prefer it without! :greengrin

ltyf :p

[Northernhibee]

Made pork chops with champ potato cakes, a cider cream sauce and brown butter coated green veg last night. Went down a treat.

[Northernhibee]

Jamie Oliver's new cookbook is pretty good - his money saving recipes basically involve buying a whole large chicken or joint of brisket or cheaper cuts of meat, having your big Sunday roast and then has a load of interesting recipes for the leftovers.

Bought a big slab of brisket and will have that tonight with veg, yorkies and home made gravy but will have a rendang tomorrow and a po'boy ciabatta sandwich the next day.

Half price in Morrisons and well worth it.

[easty]

I've made a few things from the new Jamie Oliver book, just had the chicken and chorizo paella for dinner tonighy and it was realty good. I can't stand the guy to be honest, but his cook books are good.

[Pretty Boy]

A nice sausage casserole I make quite often.

Fry off 8 Lincolnshire sausages until browned in a frying pan then move to a big pot.

Fry off 4 or 5 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped, until it starts to brown then add to the sausages.

Fry off a large, finely chopped onion until it softens then add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and fry for another couple of minutes until the onion just starts to brown.

Add a heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika to the oniond and garlic, cook for a minute or 2. Add a small tin of chopped tomatoes, 250ml of chicken stock, a teaspoom of mixed herbs, 2 bay leaves, 4 or 5 sprigs of thyme, a tablespoon of Worcester sauce and decent splash of red wine.

Bring to a decent simmer then add to the sausages and bacon, salt and pepper to taste and just over half a teaspoon of sugar, let this simmer very gently for about 25 minutes, stir often.

Add a small tin of butter beans and cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Lovely stuff.

[Sergey]

A nice sausage casserole I make quite often.

Fry off 8 Lincolnshire sausages until browned in a frying pan then move to a big pot.

Fry off 4 or 5 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped, until it starts to brown then add to the sausages.

Fry off a large, finely chopped onion until it softens then add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and fry for another couple of minutes until the onion just starts to brown.

Add a heaped teaspoon of smoked paprika to the oniond and garlic, cook for a minute or 2. Add a small tin of chopped tomatoes, 250ml of chicken stock, a teaspoom of mixed herbs, 2 bay leaves, 4 or 5 sprigs of thyme, a tablespoon of Worcester sauce and decent splash of red wine.

Bring to a decent simmer then add to the sausages and bacon, salt and pepper to taste and just over half a teaspoon of sugar, let this simmer very gently for about 25 minutes, stir often.

Add a small tin of butter beans and cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Lovely stuff.

What you're making is a stew, not a casserole.

Stews are cooked on a hob with the heat source under the pan, whereas, a casserole is cooked in the oven and (depending on the amount of liquid) the meat/veg steam in the pot. Braising is casseroling with very little liquid.

Also, try frying small pieces of chorizo with your bacon and skip the paprika, also, add your onions to the same pan as the bacon/chorizo just as the bacon begins to brown as the fat and juices absorbs into the onion.

[Pretty Boy]

What you're making is a stew, not a casserole.

Stews are cooked on a hob with the heat source under the pan, whereas, a casserole is cooked in the oven and (depending on the amount of liquid) the meat/veg steam in the pot. Braising is casseroling with very little liquid.

Also, try frying small pieces of chorizo with your bacon and skip the paprika, also, add your onions to the same pan as the bacon/chorizo just as the bacon begins to brown as the fat and juices absorbs into the onion.

Cheers Sergey, some sound advice. Will give the chorizo a bash next time I make.

[Northernhibee]

A friend of mines e-mailed this Nigella Lawson recipe for a Chocolate and Guinness cake - made it earlier today and it's possibly one of the best cakes I've eaten in years. Really, really special stuff.

for the cake

250 ml guinness
250 grams unsalted butter
75 grams cocoa powder
400 grams caster sugar
142 ml sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
275 grams plain flour
2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

for the topping

300 grams cream cheese
150 grams icing sugar
125 ml double cream (or whipping cream)




Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.
Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

[Northernhibee]

You absolutely have to try this recipe:

http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/11/03/banana-chickpea-and-tea-curry-trust-me-on-this-one-its-amazing/

It's a banana and chickpea curry and instead of using stock you use tea - it's absolutely delicious, cheap, healthy and properly, properly good with some rice and a naan along with a frosty cold beer.

One of those recipes that sound mental but are delicious.

[Hank Schrader]

For any soup fans here is a recipe I found that is really good. Don't be fooled by the "spicy" title, its not really that spicy at all and you can ditch the chilli if you are sensitive to a bit of heat. I am not a celery fan so I substitute that for extra onion and carrot (half an onion and one carrot usually works). Also I use ground cumin and coriander rather than seeds, works just as well;


SPICY SWEET POTATO AND LENTIL SOUP


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
100g red lentils
1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
sprigs of coriander, to garnish
wholemeal bread, to serve

Preparation time:
15 minutes
Cooking time:
40 minutes



Method

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, spices and chilli. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes and lentils and 1 litre of the stock. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Allow to cool slightly before blending until smooth. Add the remaining stock and reheat gently. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the coriander.

[Hank Schrader]

You absolutely have to try this recipe:

http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/11/03/banana-chickpea-and-tea-curry-trust-me-on-this-one-its-amazing/

It's a banana and chickpea curry and instead of using stock you use tea - it's absolutely delicious, cheap, healthy and properly, properly good with some rice and a naan along with a frosty cold beer.

One of those recipes that sound mental but are delicious.

That sounds crazy but I really want to give that a go!!

[Northernhibee]

Went into my local butcher today (a fantastic young chap with some mental recipes) and bought beer can chicken - it's a full free range chicken, coated in a BBQ rub with a tin of beer up its bum. Before cooking you crack the tin open, stand it upright in your roasting tin and stand the chicken upright by using the beer tin up its backside as a stand. The steam formed by the opened tin of beer cooks it from both the inside and outside and supposedly gives it a cracking flavour.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

[Mr White]

Went into my local butcher today (a fantastic young chap with some mental recipes) and bought beer can chicken - it's a full free range chicken, coated in a BBQ rub with a tin of beer up its bum. Before cooking you crack the tin open, stand it upright in your roasting tin and stand the chicken upright by using the beer tin up its backside as a stand. The steam formed by the opened tin of beer cooks it from both the inside and outside and supposedly gives it a cracking flavour.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

I've heard of this but never tasted it. It's an Aussie thing right? I believe it's pretty tasty!

[Peevemor]

Went into my local butcher today (a fantastic young chap with some mental recipes) and bought beer can chicken - it's a full free range chicken, coated in a BBQ rub with a tin of beer up its bum. Before cooking you crack the tin open, stand it upright in your roasting tin and stand the chicken upright by using the beer tin up its backside as a stand. The steam formed by the opened tin of beer cooks it from both the inside and outside and supposedly gives it a cracking flavour.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

It'll certainly flavour its crack!

[DH1875]

Went into my local butcher today (a fantastic young chap with some mental recipes) and bought beer can chicken - it's a full free range chicken, coated in a BBQ rub with a tin of beer up its bum. Before cooking you crack the tin open, stand it upright in your roasting tin and stand the chicken upright by using the beer tin up its backside as a stand. The steam formed by the opened tin of beer cooks it from both the inside and outside and supposedly gives it a cracking flavour.

Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

Well?

[Northernhibee]

Well?

It was very good! Didn't have the strongest beer flavour but was definately there in the background, and the meat itself was very moist. Will definately do it that way again.

Roast some baby new spuds in the juice at the bottom of the roasting tin afterwards and they were delicious.

[Northernhibee]

Made chicken satay with the leftover chicken - you'll need:

Crunchy peanut butter
Natural greek yoghurt
Fish sauce
Dried chilli flakes
Salt

Put in three or four big generous dessert spoons of peanut butter into a saucepan and add a little cold water and salt. Heat it up to boil it and keep adding a little water at a time and reducing it down, adding chilli flakes, salt and a couple of splashes of fish sauce halfway through. After 20 minutes or so of keeping adding water and cooking it out, add a spoonful of the yoghurt, stir it in. Season and serve over your meat or veg of choice.

Super, super simple and a tasty sauce for your tea.

[Northernhibee]

Aldi have a frozen dessert maker for £29 right now - it's a bit of a pain in the arse to use (lots of shoogling of the chute for it to actually grind it up) but you put frozen fruit/frozen cream you've put in an ice cube tray/chocolate etc in the top and it makes it into an ice cream/sorbet.

Once you figure out how to get the ****ing thing working it's a good buy - made a raspberry sorbet by plonking half a punnet of frozen rasps in it with a splash of elderflower cordial and it's absolutely lush.

[Northernhibee]

Made a home made thai chicken, ginger and bamboo noodle broth tonight as I've got a bit of the cold - it's got a bundle of chilli and ginger in it so it does a great job of blowing it away. It's a made-up-on-the-spot recipe so you might want to adjust quantities of stuff.

I made it with:


1 litre of chicken stock
Three birds eye chillis
A thumb sized piece of ginger (grated finely)
Spring onions
A small tin of sliced bamboo
Two chicken breasts
A dash of white wine vinegar
Two cloves of garlic (crushed)
The juice of one lime
A big splash of kecap manis
One lemongrass
Two nests of medium noodles
A bunch of coriander


First of all, bung your stock, sliced chillis, grated ginger, bamboo, garlic, lime juice and lemongrass (broken a bit) in a pot and simmer on a low heat. Get your chicken breasts in the oven.

Once the chicken breasts are cooked, leave them to rest and chop the green parts off of your spring onions and add them to your broth as well as the stalks of your coriander. Add a big splash of kecap manis and a small splash of white wine vinegar. Give it a taste - it should be hot, salty, sweet and sour. Add salt, chilli if required and also a bit more kecap manis for sweetness (it's an Indonesian soy sauce made with palm sugar) or a little more vinegar for sourness (be sparing with it).

Remove the lemongrass and garlic cloves from the pot.

Add your noodles to the pot and wait till cooked.

Place your noodles on the bottom of a serving bowl and put some sliced chicken breast on top of this then top the bowl up with the liquid. Top with some of the white part of your spring onion finely chopped as well as some of the coriander leaves. Serve with crusty bread.

It's a really kick ass bowl of food, sorted the cold I've got just now right out :greengrin

[Stranraer]

No need to eat flesh when you have recipes like this:

Asparagus and Tomato penne salad with goats cheese.

2 cups of penne pasta, 12 asparagus spears, 12 cherry tomatoes, 4 table spoons of virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of black pepper and 2 of salt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of some dried herbs, 2 teaspoons of honey, 2 ounces of crumbled goats cheese.

Not we're talking.

[Mr White]

No need to eat flesh when you have recipes like this:

Asparagus and Tomato penne salad with goats cheese.

2 cups of penne pasta, 12 asparagus spears, 12 cherry tomatoes, 4 table spoons of virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of black pepper and 2 of salt, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of some dried herbs, 2 teaspoons of honey, 2 ounces of crumbled goats cheese.

Not we're talking.

Each to their own mozza but I'd take a big mac or king rib supper over that every day of the week :greengrin

[Stranraer]

Each to their own mozza but I'd take a big mac or king rib supper over that every day of the week :greengrin

haha fair enough :boo hoo:

[Northernhibee]

Made a really quick and easy home-made chicken kebab for my tea tonight.

First of all I made a really spicy marinade for chicken. It consisted of white wine vinegar, a good tablespoon of golden syrup, chili extract, fresh sliced chili, chili flakes, salt, pepper, two heaped teaspoons of smoked paprika and half a teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds. Tenderised and diced some chicken breasts and marinaded it in this overnight so it was ready coming back from work the next day.

Fried off the chicken (doesn't take long when it's been marinaded by this) and warmed up a garlic and coriander naan bread from Lidls in the oven. Took a handful of coleslaw mix (the stuff without the mayo added), topped the pitta with this and added the chicken breast. Poured some chili sauce on the top and bobs your uncle.

Really, really simple and tasty and a lot better than the takeaway variety :agree: