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BBQ Leg of Lamb- Moroccan Style July 6, 2010

Filed under: Meat — delishuss @ 3:30 pm
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Note: It might be easier to select a pre-prepared cut of lamb if you don’t want the hassle of having to de-bone the meat etc.

Ingredients

Leg of lamb de-boned

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of mixed spice

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

25g of dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

50 ml of olive oil

50 ml of balsamic vinegar

Handful of chopped mint

Handful of chopped coriander

½ red chilli

2 cm of grated ginger

 Instructions

  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Butterfly the meat and bash with a mallet until it is evenly spread out. Feed some metal skewers through the meat in opposite directions so that it can be easily handled on the BBQ.
  3. Place the meat on a suitable tray and pour the marinade over either side of the meat and rub in. Leave to marinade overnight if you can but 4 hours is fine.
  4. Place the meat on the BBQ and cook for about 20 minutes depending on how you like your meat cooked.

 Serve with Spicy Cous Cous and a salad

 

Vegetable Chilli

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Vegetarian — delishuss @ 3:05 pm
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Note: I was a bit concerned about the effect of the apple, but it worked quite well. Serve this with rice or taco shells.

Serves 4

Ingredients

A dash of sunflower oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 half mixed peppers chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 small apple, chopped

1 can of mixed beans

Small can of kidney beans

1 tsp of oregano

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of paprika

½ green chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp of salt

1 can of chopped tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sunflower and heat. Fry off the onion for 10 minutes stirring regular to prevent burning.
  2. Drain the cans of beans.
  3. Mix together the oregano, paprika, cumin and salt in a small bowl.
  4. Add the rest of the vegetables and the apple to the pan and fry off for 10 minutes.
  5. Add in the chilli and mixed spice and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
  6. Add the tomatoes and beans to the pan and stir.
  7. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
 

Mixed Pepper Melts

Filed under: Starters,Vegetarian — delishuss @ 2:55 pm
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Serves 4

Time to table:  30 minutes

Ingredients

255g Couscous (Aldi do a good hot and spicy version)

3 red and 3 yellow peppers

4 spring onions

198g cherry tomatoes

170g vegetarian mozzarella cheese or goat’s cheese

A small handful of fresh basil

1tsp red chilli flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Fry light

 Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cook the couscous according to packet instructions and set aside. Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients; halve the peppers lengthways and deseed; finely slice the spring onions; peel and finely chop the garlic; halve the tomatoes; cut the mozzarella into cubes and chop the basil.
  2. Place the peppers on a non stick baking tray cut side up. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, cheese, basil and chilli flakes to the couscous, season well and spoon into the pepper halves.
  3. Spray with Fry Light and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the peppers are soft.

Serve with a mixed green salad.

 

Broad Bean Pesto and Rocket Linguine

Filed under: Pasta,Vegetarian — delishuss @ 2:48 pm
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This is Weight Watchers recipe. You could add some fried chicken to the recipe. Also the recipe does state that it serves 4 people, that’s at a push. I would say more like 3 good sized portions. Obviously, the points values will change depending on the portion size and any added extras.

Serves 4

7 ½  Weight Watchers Points per serving

Ingredients

400g broad beans, defrosted if frozen

50g finely grated parmesan cheese

25g pine nuts toasted

Small bunch of fresh basil

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, crushed

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

300g linguine

50g rocket

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Drop in the broad beans, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the water for the pasta.
  2. To make the broad bean pesto, remove the beans from their pods and place half in a large pestle and mortar.
  3. Add half the parmesan, half the pine nuts and most of the basil, reserving a little for garnish.
  4. Add the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice and season well. Bash to a rough paste and taste to see if you need more seasoning or lemon juice.
  5. Meanwhile, bring the water back to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to pack instructions. Drain. Combine the hot pasta and a splash of hot cooking water with the pesto. Mix well and stir in the rocket.
  6. Divide among 4 serving bowls, scatter the reserved broad beans, pine nuts, parmesan and basil over, and serve.
 

Marrietta’s Apple Cake July 4, 2010

Filed under: Cakes,Desserts — delishuss @ 9:24 pm
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This is a recipe my mum found and passed on. It’s very morish.

Ingredients

350g (12oz) self raising flour              175g    (6oz) butter/Stork, (chilled)

450g (1lb) cooking apples                   Pinch of salt

(Peeled, cored and diced)                   175g (6 oz) castor sugar

125 (4 1/2 oz) Sultanas                       3 medium sized eggs, beaten

 Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 18cm (7in) square tin or 20cm (8in) round tin.
  2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the sugar and sultanas.
  3. Stir in the diced apple and then fold in the beaten eggs. It is a fairly dry mixture. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hr or until golden brown on top.
  4. Once cooked sprinkle with a little castor sugar. Cool for 10 minutes. Then turn onto a wire rack.

 There is great cutting in this for a houseful of visitors, coffee morning or simply as a dessert with cream. It is best eaten within 2 days but it is so good that it will not last that long.

 

Chicken Masala

Filed under: Chicken,Curries — delishuss @ 9:09 pm
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This masala is from the curry house website, http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/rsc/masala.htm. It’s very good but I think I will continue my search for the perfect masala recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 small onion – finely chopped
  • 1.5 inch piece cassia bark (or cinnamon)
  • 2 green cardamon pods
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger – very finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic – very finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
  • 3/4 teaspoon good chilli powder
  • 5 tablespoons Greek-style full cream yoghurt (3/4 of a 150 gm tub)
  • 1 teaspoon (or a little more) concentrated tomato purée
  • salt to taste
  • 2 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon chopped up pieces from a block of creamed coconut
  • chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro) to garnish

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high
  2. Add the cassia, cardamons, cloves and fennel seeds and stir a little then turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes
  3. Add the ginger and garlic, stir and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat stirring now and again to make sure nothing browns or burns
  4. Add the turmeric, coriander and chilli powder and fry gently for a minute
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of yoghurt, stir round and turn the heat up so the yoghurt sizzles in the oil (don’t worry, it won’t split if you’ve used full cream yoghurt)
  6. When the yoghurt has lost a lot of it’s moisture add another tablespoon. Stir and fry as before.
  7. Repeat until all the yoghurt is incorporated (the last tablespoons won’t sizzle but it doesn’t matter)
  8. Add the tomato purée and stir in. The colour of the dish should now be similar to the background colour of the recipe list page – a rich orangy yellow with red flecks if you’ve turned the graphics off.
  9. Stir in lots of hot water – enough to make the mixture very fluid
  10. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes
  11. Add salt to taste
  12. Heat a little oil in a large heavy frying pan and stir-fry the chicken pieces over a moderate heat until they are sealed and have turned white
  13. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer gently for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Stir from time to time. If the sauce gets too dry add a little hot water
  14. 10 minutes from the end add the creamed cocunut pieces and stir to melt them. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with some hot water as the creamed cocnut will thicken the sauce
  15. At the end of the cooking you should have a fairly thick, creamy sauce with little patches of oil appearing at the top. Remove the cassia and cardamons (if you can find them! Don’t worry about the cloves)
  16. Serve, garnished with chopped fresh coriander leaf (cilantro)
 

Broad Bean Frittata June 29, 2010

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Vegetarian — delishuss @ 8:26 pm
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Just some comments about this recipe:

This is a Weight Watchers recipe. If served with a side salad it’s a substantial enough meal.

This recipe needs plenty of seasoning.

I used frozen peas instead of the broad beans as that’s my own personal preference.

5 points per serving

Serves 2

Ingredients

100g (3 ½ oz) new potatoes (approx 2 potatoes), sliced

100g (3 ½ oz) baby broad beans (frozen ones are fine)

Low fat cooking spray

2-3 small pink shallots or ½ small red onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped very finely

Small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly

Small handful of fresh mint, chopped roughly

4 eggs, beaten

60g (2 oz) light feta, cubed

Instructions

  1. Cook the potato slices in boiling water for about 7-10 minutes or until just tender. When they are nearly ready, add the broad beans and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.
  2. Heat a frying pan, mist with low fat spray and add the shallots with 1 tbsp water. Cook until the shallots are softened and the water has evaporated, and then add the garlic, some seasoning, and the drained potatoes and beans.  Mist will with low fat spray and cook for 1 minute more, stirring.
  3. Stir most of the chopped herbs into the beaten egg and add to the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the base of the omelette is well set, then dot the top with cheese and place under a preheated grill for 5 minutes until the top is set.
  4. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with the reserved herbs and serve with some salad.
 

Turkey Keema June 28, 2010

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat — delishuss @ 9:24 pm
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Just a few comments about this recipe:

I wouldn’t be put off by the turkey mince, it actually works well in this recipe.
The turkey mince could be substituted for Quorn mince.
The recipe states that it serves 4 people, I’d say more like 3 good sized portions
I think this would also be nice served as a starter on some large lettuce leaves.

Serves 4

5 ½ weight watchers points per serving

Ingredients

450g pack turkey mince

Low fat cooking spray

1 onion

3 garlic cloves, chopped finely

3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped finely

2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed lightly

2 tbsp korma curry paste

200ml chicken stock

200g garden peas

200g cherry tomatoes

6 tsp chopped fresh coriander

 

To serve

125g brown basmati rice

150g pot of low fat natural yoghurt

 

Instructions

  1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat, add the mince and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until browned all over. Tip in a colander to allow any fat to drain off.
  2. Mist the same pan with low fat spray, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, adding a splash of water if it looks like it might burn.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds to the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring all the time.
  4. Add the curry paste and cook for a further 2 minutes. Return the mince to the pan and add the stock, peas and tomatoes.
  5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Season well and stir in the fresh coriander.
  6. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Drain and set to one side. Divide the rice between 4 servings dishes, top each with some curry and drizzle with the yoghurt.

 

 

Pappardalle Pasta with Boilie Cheese, Spicy Chorizo Sausage and Roast Peppers June 26, 2010

Filed under: Pasta — delishuss @ 1:00 pm
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I got this recipe from a cookbook called ‘Zest’. My friend Kathy gave it to me as a present; it includes 62 recipes from some of the top restaurants in Ireland. The recipes are lovely, ideal if you want to get some ideas for a party or looking to impress someone. This recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s quite rich, not great for the waistline but hey you gotta indulge sometimes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the sauce:

Olive oil, for frying

100g chorizo sausage

2 red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

450ml cream

For the pasta

2 tablespoons pesto

250g pappardelle pasta

Knob of butter

200g Boilie cow’s milk cheese

Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the sauce

  1. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Saute the chorizo sausage and the red peppers.
  2. Add the cream and pesto to the pan and reduce to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

 For the pasta

  1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan in boiling water with a knob of butter melted in the water.
  2. Do not overcook the pasta. When there is just a little ‘chew’ on the pasta, it is cooked enough- check the package for details.
  3. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce from the pan.
  4. Drain the oil from the Boilie cheese, and add the cheese to the pasta mix. Stir Gently.

To serve

  1. Serve the pasta in a large warmed bowl in the centre of the table, with side dishes of green salad and garlic bread. Set a warm plate at each plate setting and allow your guest to help themselves.
 

Caesar Salad Dressing

Filed under: Salads and Dressings — delishuss @ 12:13 pm
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I got this recipe from Kevin Dundon down at the Dunbrody Cookery School. I always wondered what went into it, so I asked and I received. Once you’ve tried making this, it’s so easy it’s almost a shame to revert to the bottle form.

I fried off some sliced chicken for a 4 minutes, added in some chopped bacon and sliced onion and fried for a further 3 minutes. Before they are browned add some fajita mix, it gives it a really nice smoky flavour. Cook for another few minutes until the flavours have married. Add the dressing to some gem lettuce leaves, you can work it through with clean hands, no need to go overboard on the dressing a light coating works best. Sprinkle over the other ingredients and mix through. Serve with some grated parmesan and some croutons if you have them handy. 

Dressing Ingredients

1-2 anchovies

1 teaspoon of capers

Juice of ½ lemon

1 egg yolk

75ml of olive oil

1 teaspoon of mustard

A few drops of Worchester sauce

Instructions

  1. Mash the capers and the anchovies in a bowl until relatively smooth.
  2. Add in the egg, mustard and Worchester sauce and whisk.
  3. Slowly add the olive oil, while whisking constantly. Don’t panic if it looks too gloopy, the lemon juice will change the consistency.
  4. Add in the lemon juice and whisk.