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Beef with Yorkies and roast potatoes meal October 27, 2010

Filed under: Favourites,Meat — delishuss @ 8:40 pm
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This is one of Jamie Oliver’s 30 minute meals. We were watching it on bank holiday Monday last and salivating. So I nipped out and picked up the ingredients. It was really awesome. Definately worth a try, don’t be put off by the number of steps involved.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the potatoes

  • 500g red-skinned potatoes
  • 1 lemon
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
  • 1 bulb of garlic

For the Yorkies

  • Just under 1 mug of plain flour
  • 1 mug of milk
  • 1 egg

For the carrots

  • 500g small carrots
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 heaped tbsp caster sugar
  • Knob of butter

For the gravy

  • ½ a red onion
  • 12 baby button mushrooms
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 1 small wineglass of red wine
  • 300ml organic chicken stock

For the beef

  • 8 sprigs each of fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
  • 700g fillet of beef

For the seasonings

  • Olive oil
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper

For the watercress salad

  • ½ a red onion
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
  • 1 x 100g bag of prewashed watercress

To serve

  • Creamed horseradish sauce
  • English mustard
  • A bottle of red wine

To start: Get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Fill and boil the kettle. Turn the oven on to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7, and place a 12 hole shallow bun tin on the top shelf. Put 1 large saucepan and 2 large frying pans on a medium heat. Put the fine slicer disc attachment into the food processor.

Potatoes: Wash the potatoes, leaving the skins on. Chop into 2cm chunks and throw into one of the large frying pans. Cover with boiling water, season with salt and cover with a lid. Turn the heat right up, and boil for 8minutes, or until just cooked. Fill and reboil the kettle.

Beef: Quickly pick and finely chop the rosemary, sage and thyme leaves. Turn the heat under the empty frying pan up to full whack. Mix the herbs together and spread them around the chopping board with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cut the fillet in half lengthways, then roll each piece back and forth so they are completely coated in herbs. Add the meat to the hot empty frying pan with a few good lugs of olive oil. You must turn it every minute while you get on with other jobs. Don’t forget to seal the ends.

Carrots: Tip the carrots into the saucepan and just cover with boiling water. Add 2 sprigs of thyme, a couple of bay leaves, a good pinch of salt, a splash of olive oil and 1 heaped tablespoon of sugar. Cook with a lid on until tender.

Yorkies: Put the flour, milk and egg into the liquidizer with a pinch of salt. Blitz, then quickly and confidently remove the bun tin from the oven and close the door. In one quick movement, back and forth, drizzle a little olive oil in each compartment, then do the same with the batter until each one is half full (any remaining batter can be used for pancakes another day). Place in the top of the oven, close the door and do not open for 14 minutes, until golden and risen.

Potatoes: Check that the potatoes are cooked through, then drain and return to the same frying pan. Leave on a high heat and drizzle over some olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, speed-peel in strips of lemon zest and add 4 sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Halve the bulb of garlic widthways, squash each half with the back of a knife and add to the pan. Toss everything together, then roughly squash down with a masher. Toss every 3 minutes or so, until golden and crisp.

Gravy: Reduce the heat under the beef a little. Peel the red onion half. Finely slice in the food processor. Add half the onion to the beef pan with a splash of olive oil, the other half to a salad bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in a colander and slice in the processor, then add to the beef pan. Stir everything around and remember to keep turning the beef regularly for 5 minutes.

Gravy: Remove the beef to a plate. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then cover with foil. Stir 1 heaped tablespoon of flour into the pan. Add a small glass of red wine and turn the heat up. Boil down to nearly nothing, then stir in 300ml of chicken stock and simmer until thick and shiny.

To serve: Drain the carrots, return to the pan, toss with butter and take to the table. Turn the potatoes out on to a platter. Smear 2 spoonfuls of horseradish sauce and 1 teaspoon of English mustard on to another platter. Quickly slice the beef 1cm thick, using long carving motions. Sprinkle over a pinch of salt & pepper from a height, then pile the beef on top of the horseradish sauce and mustard. Add any resting juices to the gravy and serve in a jug. Toss and dress the salad quickly, then get the Yorkies out of the oven, and take them to the table and tuck in with a glass of wine.

 

The Ultimate Burger October 16, 2010

Filed under: Favourites,Meat — delishuss @ 9:30 pm
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I think this is a Jamie Oliver recipe. I’ve tried a lot of variations of burger recipes and haven’t quite found anything as good as this.

Makes approx 8 burgers

Ingredients

1kg/2lb 3oz good minced steak

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

Olive oil

Pinch of cumin seeds

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 heaped tablespoon English

1 large free-range egg

115g/4oz breadcrumbs

8 burger buns

Instructions

  1. Transfer the meat to a bowl. In a big frying pan, slowly cook the onion in a little olive oil for about 5 mins until softened but not coloured.
  2. Add the onion to the meat- it will give sweetness to the burger. U sing a pestle and mortar bash up the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper until fine and add to the meat.
  3. Then add the parmesan, mustard, egg and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. If the mixture is too sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs.
  4. Lay some greaseproof paper on a tray or large plate and sprinkle over some of the remaining breadcrumbs. Shape the meat into 8 fat burgers and place these on top of the crumbs on the tray.
  5. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and press down gently. The burgers are better if they are chilled before cooking, so put them in the fridge for an hour or so.
  6. Take the burgers out of the fridge and fry them in a little oil on a medium to high heat for about 8-10 mins, depending on the thickness of the burgers and how you like them, turning occasionally. Serve them on toasted burger buns, with tomato ketchup, layers of sliced beef tomatoes, thinly sliced cheese, raw onion rings and lettuce.
 

Spiced Lamb Kebabs September 14, 2010

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:58 pm
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I really liked this recipe, I am a bit of a sucker for lamb and anything curry related so it’s right up my alley.  Hope you enjoy it.

7 1/2 points value per serving

Serves 2

Ingredients

350g (12 oz) lean leg of lamb, cubed

1 pepper cut into large chunks

2 teaspoons tandoori curry powder

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 onion, cut into wedges

To serve

2 pitta breads

10 mint leaves, shredded

2 cm (3/4 inch) piece cucumber, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons 0% fat Greek yogurt

Method

1. Place the lamb in a non metallic bowl. Mix together the tandoori powder, yoghut and garlic and pour over the lamb. Stir well and set aside to marinade at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the grill to medium. Thread the lamb, onion and pepper on to skewers, brushing over any excess yoghurt mixture. Grill for 12-15 minutes until beginning to char.

3. To serve, warm the pitta breads under the grill. Mix together the mint, cucumber and yoghurt. Split the pittas. Remove the meat, onions and peppers from the skewers, stuffing them into pittas. Serve with the yoghurt mixture.

 

Beef Red Curry September 9, 2010

Filed under: Meat,Noodles,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 10:27 pm
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I thought this was delishuss.  I was kind of surprised at how tasty it was considering it was low fat. It is a little less creamy/thick than what you would expect a thai curry to be but it’s all the better for the waistline.

5 1/2 Weight Watchers points per serving

Serves 4

Ingredients

Low fat cooking spray

300g of lean rump steak, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste

1 green pepper, sliced

150g baby corn

1/2 x 400ml can reduced fat cocunut milk

2ooml vegetable stock

2 x 150g packet straight to wok Udon noodles

A handful of freshly chopped coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Heat a large lidded saucepan until hot. Spray with low fat cooking spray and add the steak and fry for 2-3 minutes until brown.

2. Add the paste, pepper and baby corn. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until beginning to brown.

3. Add the cocunut milk and stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the beef is tender.

4. Add the beansprouts and noodles. Cook for 1-2 minutes until hot, then serve in warm bowls garnished with the coriander.

Tip: Prawns would work well with this dish instead of the beef. Add 150g of cooked prawns with the beansprouts. The points value per serving would be 4 1/2.

If you like a spicy curry, I would add some more curry paste.

 

Spaghetti with Bacon Breadcrumb Topping September 6, 2010

Filed under: Meat,Pasta — delishuss @ 9:31 pm
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I was watching Rick Stein’s cookery programme at the weekend and he was in Sicily. He made a very simple pasta dish. I have taken his recipe a step further. I think it’s great, but then again I am biased 🙂

 

Ingredients

150g spaghetti

15 olives, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red pepper, diced

1 tray of cherry tomatoes, pith removed and diced

50g breadcrumbs

50g grated parmesan

5 medallions (100g) smoked rasher

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp of chilli flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

Cooking spray

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a pan and spray with cooking spray. Fry the bacon for 3 minutes until turning brown. Add the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the parmesan, stir and set aside.
  3. Heat an additional large pan and add the olive oil. Fry the pepper for 3 minutes, add the garlic and olives and fry for another 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, chilli flakes and season with pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes until the tomatoes are heated through.
  4. Drain the pasta and add to the large saucepan with the tomato and olive mix. Stir through and cook for another 3 minutes.
  5. Distribute into large serving bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
 

Spanish Pan Fry August 30, 2010

Filed under: Favourites,Meat,Potatoes,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 10:04 pm
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I am a big fan of chorizo so this is right up my alley.  I would have thought that the chorizo would have been a complete no no where Weight Watchers is concerned but this recipe is pretty okay in terms of points. As always I made a few changes, this is my version below.

Serves 4

5 1/2 points value per serving

Ingredients

500g (1lb 2 oz) new potatoes, halved or quartered if large

low fat cooking spray

200g (7 oz) chorizo, cubed

1 large yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 onion, sliced

6 tablespoons canned chick peas, drained

400g cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

250 ml of stock

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large non stick wok or frying pan and spray with the cooking spray. Add the peppers and onions and fry for 2 minutes.  Add the chorizo and fry for another 2 minutes. Stirring until it starts to crisp.

3. Add in the garlic and fry for another minute. Then add the chick peas, potatoes, and tomatoes. Stir in some of the stock and simmer until the liquid has reduced, then add the remainder and repeat.

4. Season to taste and serve in shallow bowls sprinkled with the parsley.

For an additional 2 points serve with 50g of crusty bread to mop up any of the juices.

 

Macaroni Cheese August 29, 2010

Filed under: Meat,Pasta — delishuss @ 9:05 pm
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This is my own version of Macroni Cheese. It’s a good one for midweek as it doesn’t really take that long to cook. It’s a good family favourite.

Ingredients

Serves 4 (or 3 hungry people)

300g of macaroni pasta

1 onion, finely chopped

40g of butter

2 tablespoons of olive oil

3 heaped dessertspoons

100ml of milk

25g parmesan cheese, grated

½ ball of mozzarella, roughly chopped

5 medallions of bacon, chopped roughly

½ teaspoon of mixed spice or nutmeg

Salt and pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. I find that macaroni pasta takes longer to cook, so it may take longer than on the packet. Add salt and a splash of oil and stir to avoid the pasta sticking.
  2. Meanwhile, fry off the onions and bacon in a frying pan until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan melt the butter and oil, add in the flour, little by little creating a buttery consistency. It is best to use a whisk and stir vigorously lifting off the heat regular to avoid burning. Add in the milk, little by little until it is a nice creamy consistency. This is known as a roux. Add in the spice, grated parmesan, salt and pepper to the sauce and stir. Take off heat.
  4. Add the cooked pasta to the onions and bacon and pour in the sauce. Stir ingredients together and 
  5. Pour all the ingredients into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the mozzarella over the mixture.
  6. Place until a grill until the cheese has melted and golden. Serve immediately.
 

Spicy Turkey Burgers

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat — delishuss @ 8:15 pm
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My friend Anita gave me this recipe recently in a restaurant when I had already drank a few glasses of wine, so this may not be exact but the basis is the same :-). These can be served in a burger bun or in a wholemeal pitta with some salad and some curry mayo.

Ingredients

1 tbsp of curry powder

1 finely chopped red chilli

1 tbsp of cumin powder

1 tbsp ground coriander

small bunch of coriander, chopped

1 large onion finely chopped

500g turkey mince

75g breadcrumbs

50g flour

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp of olive oil or cooking spray

Curry Mayo

1 tbsp of curry powder

4 tbsp of mayonnaise

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil or cooking spray in a pan and fry off the onions for 3 minutes, add in the chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix the mince, spices, curry powder, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, coriander, onion, chilli, and add the seasoning. Season very well as the turkey mince can tend to be quite bland.
  3. Place the flour on a plate. Bind the mince into patties and place on the flour turning over to dust on both sides.
  4. The mixture should make 4 burgers.
  5. Heat the remainder of the oil in the frying pan and fry off the burgers, you could use the grill or a griddle pan also.  I would suggest frying the burgers until golden brown on both sides, turning occasionally to prevent burning. They take about 7-8 minutes on either side.
  6. Mix the mayo and the curry powder together in a bowl. You can smear this on your burger bun or pitta bread. Alternatively, serve it as a dip with wedges to complete the meal.

 

Method

 

Hot corncakes with avocado, bacon and basil

Filed under: Brunch,Meat — delishuss @ 7:51 pm
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I got this recipe from www.bbcgoodfood.com. The recipe instructions were really bad so I have edited their version. I tried the recipe with the avocado and I really don’t think it needs it. I didn’t have basil so I just used spicy italian herbs instead (from Schwarz). I also doubled up on the batter and kept the remainder in the fridge for the following day. These are not really the healthiest option but you have to indulge sometimes.

  • 100 ml olive oil for deep frying
  • 1 red pepper , diced
  • 1 fresh red or green chilli , deseeded and chopped
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 2 egg , beaten
  • 6 tbsp milk
  • 2 x 330g sweetcorn nibblets, drained
  • handful basil leaf , chopped, plus extra to serve (or use 2 tsp spicy Italian herbs)

TO SERVE

  • 8 rashers, back or streaky bacon
  • juice 1⁄2 lemon
  • 1 or 2 avocado , peeled, stoned and sliced

Method

  1. Heat grill to high. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sizzle the pepper for 5 mins until softened, adding the chilli for the final min. Remove and set aside.
  2. Put the flour into a large bowl, make a well, then stir in the egg and then the milk to make a batter, whisking to remove any lumps. Stir in the corn, peppers, chilli and chopped basil, then season well.
  3. Heat a wok and add the remaining oil and heat until very hot. Then carefully drop 4 large tbsps of the batter into the pan. Don’t panic they look like they will seperate but they bind together. Try not to agitate them while they are cooking.
  4. Cook for 2 mins until risen and golden underneath, then cook for 1 min more. You’ll need to do these in batches, remove and drain on the kitchen paper to remove the excess fat. Keep warm.
  5. Meanwhile, grill the bacon.
  6. Mix the lemon juice and remaining oil together with seasoning. Serve 4 cakes each, topped with the avocado, bacon, a scattering of basil leaves and a drizzle of the dressing.
 

Beef Chow Mein August 25, 2010

Filed under: Meat,Noodles,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:17 pm
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This recipe is not a million miles away from the Beef Terriyaki with Udon Noodles. Either way I thoroughly enjoyed it, give it a go and see what you think.

Serves 4

4 1/2  Weight Watcher points per serving

Ingredients

4 tablespoons soy sauce

325g (11 1/2 oz) lean rump steak, cut into strips

Low fat cooking spray

1 large onion, halved then sliced

150g (5 1/2 oz) sugar snap peas

150g (5 1/2 oz) baby sweetcorn, halved lengthways

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

400g (14 oz) Amoy Straight to Wok egg noodles

175g (6oz) beansprouts

2 tablespoons orange juice

Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the steak and coat well. Set aside.

2. Heat a large, non stick wok or frying pan and spray with the cooking spray. Reserving the marinade, remove the beef using a slotted spoon, add to the wok or pan and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

3. Spray the wok or pan again with the cooking spray. Add the onion and stir fry for 2 minutes then add the sugar snap peas, baby sweetcorn, garlic and ginger and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add the noodles, beansprouts, orange juice, beef and the reserved marinade and toss until heated through.

4. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with chilli flakes (if using).