The Amateur Chef

Red Lentil Dhal

2023-09-10T16:07:00.001+01:00

This meat-free Indian recipe has many healthy ingredients but does not compromise on taste. Cooked in my slow cooker, it only takes a few minutes to prep and then you're free to leave it to cook and while you get on with your day.

The beauty of this recipe is that it feeds 5 people as a main or you can take a main portion and divide it between two people as a side dish with another Indian main. It also freezes well, so it's worth batch cooking extra portions for future use. Each portion comes in at around only 73p so you are getting an incredibly nutritious meal for little cost.

Serves 5

450g dried red lentils £1.71
400ml tin light coconut milk £0.85

350ml cold water

1 medium onion, chopped £0.11
30g piece fresh ginger, grated £0.16
400g tin chopped tomatoes £0.35
3 garlic cloves £0.06
juice of 1 lemon £0.14
1 tsp turmeric £0.05
1 tsp hot chilli powder £0.05
2 tsp medium curry powder £0.05
5g fresh coriander leaves £0.14

Cost Per Individual Serving £0.73

Ingredients bought Aldi and Sainsburys. Prices correct as of 09/09/23

Instructions

1. Switch on slow cooker to low

2. Rinse red lentils and add to slow cooker.
2. Add all ingredients apart from coriander and give a good stir.
3. Put on lid and leave for approx 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or until lentils are soft.
4. Keep an eye on the dhal as it cooks. If it begins to absorb all water before cooked and appears dry, just add a little extra boiled water from the kettle to loosen up and give a good stir
5. Once the red lentils stir in the coriander and plate up and enjoy! A naan or poppadom goes really well with the dhal.

Honey and Chilli Chicken Stir Fry

2023-08-29T21:00:00.002+01:00

If you like your stir fry to be slightly sweet and salty with a hit of chilli heat then this quick and easy to prepare dish will not disappoint.

I cook this recipe on weeknights after work time and time again as it has everything going for it:

fast to prepare and cook

fresh and healthy ingredients

amazing taste

The sweetness of the honey, the lovely aromatic taste of coriander, the saltiness of the soy sauce and the heat from the red chilli and ginger all work in harmony with the chinese five spice. It really is a treat for the tastebuds.
The accompanying medium egg noodles really work well in this recipe but straight to wok rice noodle varieties are just as good.
Don't forget the golden rule of stir fry - ensure all ingredients are prepared before commencing!
Once they begin to hit the wok they require your full focus as time is of the essence!

Serves 2
2 layers medium egg noodles £0.83
1 tbsp groundnut oil £0.06p
300g chicken breast (2 medium size), thinly sliced £1.80
5g piece fresh ginger, grated £0.06
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped £0.11
1 1/2 tsp chinese five spice £0.11
2 tbsp runny clear honey £0.14
1 tbsp light soy sauce £0.06
5g frozen fresh coriander leaves £0.14

Cost Per Individual Serving £1.66

Ingredients bought Aldi and Sainsburys. Prices correct as of 29/08/23

Instructions

1. Put noodles into pan. Boil kettle and pour water over straightaway. Place lid on and leave for approx 8-10 min, stirring halfway through, until soft. Drain.
2. Heat oil in wok on high setting until it starts to sizzle.
3. Add chicken, chilli, and ginger; stir constantly for thirty seconds.
4. Add five spice; keep stirring and turning until chicken is browned and cooked throughout.
5. Stir in the honey and soy sauce (nearly there!!).
6. Then, add noodles and coriander to the wok; break up the coriander and keep stirring until the noodles are mixed in with the chicken and the coriander is defrosted and separated.
7. Plate up and enjoy!

Hake Mediterranean Bake

2015-02-28T12:16:00.003+00:00

The first signs of a long dark British winter beginning to recede are distinctly in the air this Saturday lunchtime - a pleasant sun in the sky, mild temperatures, birds busy in the garden, and sprouting bulbs in the garden.

At the moment I am on a slight mission to lose a little weight - nearly half a stone in two weeks to date - and I wanted a lunch this Saturday that was quick to prepare and cook, low in calories, and tasty.

A quick glance through my cupboards, fridge and freezer inspired me to come up with something from initial conception to plate in just over 30 minutes.

The ingredients by themselves looked uninspiring, but combined together exceeded my wildest expectations. The sweet sauce of the tomatoes and the kick from the paprika really elevates this meal. The final bonus is that, with a frozen portion of hake coming in at only 75p, the whole lunch comes in at a few pence over £1. Fantastic!

Ingredients
1 frozen hake portion (any white fish would work equally as well)
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tomato, quartered
small handful sliced frozen mixed peppers
2 slices red onion, chopped
hot paprika
olive oil
salad leaves, handful

1. Heat oven to 200C (follow packet cooking instructions for guidance)
2. Place fish into oven-proof dish
3. Add the vegetables to the dish
4. Sprinkle fish to taste with hot paprika, drizzle over a tiny amount of olive oil and place in oven for approx. 25min
5. When fish is cooked through serve up with some salad leaves on the side, drizzling those lovely sweet tomato juices over the fish.

One Pan Eggs, Potatoes, Cherry Tomato and Spinach

2011-07-09T12:57:00.000+01:00

It's late June, and I have a glut of home grown, ultra fresh ingredients to use up.

I decide to utilise as many of them as possible into a light supper for 2 people, an all-in-one pan affair. It is simply cooked. Nothing too complicated is required as the freshness of the produce does the hard work of instilling oodles of flavour into the finished meal. And it is really healthy too !

The main tip for this recipe is not to have your pan on too high a heat, otherwise the ingredients may become overcooked. A low-medium steady heat will suffice.

1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
100g New Potatoes, thinly sliced
Cherry Tomatoes, handful
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
75g Baby Spinach
3 Eggs, free-range
50g Greek Yoghurt
1/2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp Dried Red Chilli Flakes(or more according to preference)

1. Heat oil in non-stick frying pan on low-medium heat.
2. Cook onions really gently until nice and soft.
3. Add potatoes, chilli flakes, salt and pepper-cook approx 20min until
    potatoes are cooked.
    Stir now and then to prevent sticking, and turn over half way.
4. Stir in garlic and spinach to potatoes, until spinach starts to wilt- a
    minute or two.
5. In a griddle pan cook cherry tomatoes on medium heat until softened.
6. Spread out evenly the potatoes around the pan, then crack required
     number of eggs on top.
7. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat for approx 7 min, or until egg
     whites are set.
8. Take main pan of eggs and potatoes off the heat, add the cooked tomatoes, and dollops of greek yoghurt
    and sprinkle with coriander.
9. Ready to serve!

Rhubarb and Ginger Crumble

2011-07-02T22:51:00.002+01:00

Makes 1 Ramekin - multiply ingredients to make required number of portions

Taking over an allotment last autumn, one of the first crops to be harvested this year has been the rhubarb that I inherited. Having swiftly discovered that everyone I know has an opinion on this most divisive of plants (ie. most appear to hate it including my wife and children) I thought I would cook something fast and easy for a mid-week sweet treat.

The result was a resounding success, with the sweetness of the sugar and the taste of the stem ginger combining to balance the natural sourness of the rhubarb.

2 Stems Rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces (approx 10 inch each)
30g white sugar
Tiny piece Stem Ginger, chopped
30g Plain Flour
15g Unsalted Butter
15g Demera Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180C (170C fan)
2. Put rhubarb, white sugar, and approx 1/2cm water into pan, cook on low heat for approx 10 min, stirring now and then, until nice and soft.
3. Rub butter together with flour until mixture is like breadcrumbs.
4. Add demera sugar to crumble mixture and mix well.
5. Stir in stem ginger to rhubarb pan and stir, a couple of minute before end of cooking.
6. Pour rhubarb and juices into ramekin.
7. Cover with crumble mixture and cook for approx 20 min, until golden-brown.
8. Serve with preferred topping - ice cream, double cream, custard, creme fraiche etc etc.

Cambodian Marinated Steak

2010-11-01T20:55:00.061+00:00

This dish is a darker, more intense cousin to the chinese recipe of black bean sauce with beef.

The rump steak only needs to be marinaded for a short time to be infused with the deep flavours of the soy and oyster sauce, with extra saltiness provided from the splash of fish sauce. Underneath all this thick flavour is a constant undercurrent of heat provided by the fresh chilli and ginger.

When eating, the interesting (and enjoyable) custom is to spoon a portion of the cooked beef onto a large leaf of crisp, fresh iceberg lettuce, add helpings of crunchy roasted nuts, slices of juicy tomato, crispy raw onion, and eat by rolling the lettuce into a small parcel and dip into the zesty simple lime dip.

Cambodian Marinated Steak

Time was tight tonight so I hadn't prepared a side dish, but the addition of a simple white rice dish would be ideal to mop up any excess juices from the meat. The beef would, I feel, be complemented at the stir-fry stage with a large handful of crunchy, cleansing beansprouts to balance out the saltiness, and eaten in a more conventional manner with rice, omitting the lettuce wrapping stage.

Serves 2
Cost per Individual Serving   £1.38

240g Rump Steak, cut into small cubes   £1.83
1/2 Iceberg Lettuce, washed and leaves separated   £0.47
Handful of Peanuts, toasted and chopped
1 Large Tomato, sliced   £0.20
1/4 Small Onion, chopped   £0.06

Marinade
1/2 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped   £0.05
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped
1 Inch Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
Splash to taste of Fish Sauce

To make Dipping Sauce
Juice 1/2 Lime   £0.15
Grind of Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

1. First blitz all your marinade ingredients in a processor until a smooth paste
2. Put steak into a bowl, pour over the marinade and stir - leave for at least 30 mins
3. Heat wok over high heat. Add oil until sizzling
4. Lift steak from the marinade and stir fry constantly for 3-4 min until beef cooked to required preference
5. Put into a serving bowl, and serve with the lettuce, lime dip, nuts, and tomato

Beef Mince Stir Fry

2010-10-29T21:58:00.002+01:00

Hands up if you would come home from school in the late 70s and early 80s ravenous, only to find it was boring old 'mince and tatties' for tea again. No wonder microwave pizzas were so alluring when they came on the scene around the same time!

Tonight I have eaten those same two main ingredients, not under the guise of a northern England delicacy, but as part of a Thai dish - Laab neua. Those familiar ingredients were magically transformed using Thai staples of fish sauce, lemongrass, lime, and fresh herbs of mint and coriander.

But the reason this recipe stood out, and what aroused my curiosity, was the requirement of a tablespoon of dry roasted rice! Sounds a little unappetizing I reckoned, but as the recipe was from a reliable and trusted source, I placed my faith in his hands. I was right to do so too. The rice had a distinct dry, salty taste - very similar to salted popcorn - with a real crunchy bite.

Fresh crisp lettuce leaves filled with a combination of sour, hot, salty, and zingy flavoured meat was a real delight. Added to the plate were simple seasoned potato wedges and a bowl of hot chilli sauce for dipping.

Serves 2
Cost per Individual Serving   £0.97

250g Beef Mince   £1.00
1/2 Iceberg Lettuce, leaves separated   £0.25
2 Lemongrass Stalks, peeled and sliced   £0.43
1 Green Birds Eye Chilli, thinly sliced   £0.10
3 Shallots, peeled and sliced (home grown)
Splash of juice from 1/2 Lime   £0.15
Splash of Fish Sauce (to taste) *
Handful of Mint and Coriander, chopped (home grown)
1/2 Tsp Dry Chillies, chopped   *
1 Tbsp Roasted Rice (see below)
1 Tsp Vegetable Oil   *

* denotes store cupboard items

1. Dry roast your rice in a wok/pan on medium heat for a few minutes until turning brown. Keep shaking pan
2. Put rice into mortar and pestle and grind until a mix of powder and broken smaller pieces
3. Heat oil and fry mince in wok/pan for a couple of minutes on medium-hot heat, stirring constantly, until
    brown and cooked to personal preference. Drain fat and put mince into a bowl

4. Stir in all other prepared ingredients and mix well
5. Arrange lettuce on plates and spoon mince filling onto them. Roll up and eat
6. I served mine with potato wedges and chilli sauce

Lemon Sponge Cake

2010-10-28T20:53:00.001+01:00

If you like your cake filling, moreish and moist then this is the one for you.

The lemony syrup gives it a nice zesty kick too !

Serves 12 - 15

For The Cake
225g Unsalted Butter, room temp
350g Caster Sugar
350g Plain Flour, sifted
3 Tsp Baking Powder, sifted
Zest 2 Lemons
120ml Milk
4 Large Eggs

For The Lemon Syrup
Juice 4 Lemons
6 Tbsp Icing Sugar, sifted

For Decoration
6 Tbsp Icing Sugar
Handful of Smarties

1.   Line a 22cm round, deep, loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper
2.   Preheat oven to 180C (160C Fan Oven)
3.   In a bowl or processor mix the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
4.   Add flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, and mix well
5.   Add the lemon zest and milk - mix in well
6.   Add eggs one at a time; mix well; then add the next; and so on until well combined
7.   Add mixture to cake tin; bake for 50-60 min until risen and firm to touch. If a skewer comes out nearly clean
      from cake centre it is ready. Leave to cool for an hour or so
8.   To make the syrup mix the juice of lemons with the icing sugar
9.   Make little holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer, then pour the syrup all over - it will sink into the cake
10. When cake is totally cool remove from the tin
11. To make icing, mix the icing sugar with a little water until thick but runny. Drizzle over cake as desired and add smarties

Chicken Nuggets

2010-10-22T21:46:00.003+01:00

This inspiration for this recipe came from another website - ZestyCook. He has some fantastic looking food there, and I would recommend anyone to go and have a browse.

Because the chicken is oven baked it is less fatty than if it was fried, but still has a nice crisp 'batter' than seals in the juices of the chicken, leaving it succulent and tender. Next time I make this recipe I am going to substitue the chilli flakes for cajun spice as that particular spice is also a heavenly match with chicken.

Excellent finger food - perfect for a Friday night.

Serves 4
Cost Per Individual Serving   £0.96

3 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips/shapes   £3.33
1 Organic Free Range Egg   £0.30
3 shakes of Hot Chilli Sauce *
Paxo Natural Breadcrumbs, enough to evenly cover a plate's surface   £0.21
3/4 Tbsp Water
Plain Flour, enough to thickly cover a plate's surface *
Sprinkling of Crushed Chillies, to taste *
Salt and Pepper *

* denotes store cupboard items
1. Heat oven to 180C Fan Oven
2. Season plate of flour with salt and pepper
3. Beat together the egg, chilli sauce and water and put into dish
4. Sprinkle chilli flakes onto plate of breadcrumbs
5. Coat chicken pieces first in the flour, then the egg; finally the breadcrumbs. Kepp adding more flour
    and breadcrumbs as necessary
6. Place onto baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
7. Place in oven for approx 25-30 min (turn over halfway) until outside is crisp and chicken is white and fully cooked inside
8. Serve with either a salad or wedges, and a sour cream and/or sweet chilli sauce dip

TIP - take out the tray after around 10 min and check no pieces are sticking to the paper, before returning to oven

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-21T12:09:00.001+01:00

A LOVELY BIT OF MUFFIN

This recipe will hopefully prove popular with all of you muffin lovers (you know who you are) as my Blueberry muffin recipe is, to date, the most popular on my blog. You all obviously have, like myself, extremely good taste!!

Before we get on with the recipe at hand, take 2 minutes to enjoy this hilarious clip, all based around "a lovely bit of muffin" from Ricky Gervais's Extras.

As it seems such a long time since I baked any kind of cake I decided to try my hand at Chocolate Chip muffins today. These will appeal to the chocolate lovers - they are a slightly drier alternative to the juicy fresh blueberry muffins previously baked by myself.

Makes 12 Medium Size Muffins

225g Plain Flour, sifted

2 Tsp Baking Powder, sifted

100g Caster Sugar

1 Medium Egg

125g Plain Yoghurt

125g Whole Milk

150g Milk Chocolate Chips

Pinch of Sea Salt

75g Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled a little

1. Put your cases into your muffin tray; preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 (160C Fan Oven)

2. In a large bowl lightly whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together

3. In another bowl mix the egg, yoghurt, milk and butter liquid together.

4. Add the above wet mix to your dry flour/baking powder/sugar/salt combination

5. Mix very very lightly until combined - it will resemble a thick Ready Brek and milk paste

6. Carefully add your chocolate chips and combine until evenly mixed

7. Spoon mixture into your cases (around 2/3 full) and bake for approx 30 min until golden

8. Once cooked remove for 10-15 min to cool slightly, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool

Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

2010-10-19T20:57:00.001+01:00

This is a more traditional version of Spag Bol to the previously posted recipe on my blog.

Classic Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe is very versatile - the basic spaghetti bolognese is fine to eat with pasta. However, add a dash of chilli powder, together with red kidney beans, heat through, and you have an instant chilli. Alternatively, you can add a ladle full of meat sauce into a deep ramekin, top if off with cheesy mash and cook it in the oven for an instant mini cottage pie. I will be preparing both of these options in the near future as I work my way through the frozen batch I prepared from the below ingredients.

Makes approx 10 Servings
Cost Per Individual Serving   £0.64

1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
900g Beef Mince   £3.00 (Special Offer)
150ml Dry Red Wine £0.80 (leftovers from bottle - add an extra 150ml Beef Stock/water if not using wine)
450ml Beef Stock, made from Knorr gel tablet    £0.27
2 Large Onions, peeled and finely chopped   £0.34
2 Carrots, peeled and finely chopped   £0.14 approx
2 Celery Sticks, finely chopped   £0.30 approx
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
250g Closed Cup Mushrooms, chopped   £0.86
2 Tins of 400g Chopped Tomatoes   £0.66
2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
Good Shake of Dried Oregano
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

150g Dried Fusili Pasta   £0.35

1. Heat oil on medium heat in large pan. Gently fry the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until softened - stir now and then to prevent sticking
2. Add mushrooms and fry for a couple of minutes until starting to soften
3. Add the mince, turn the heat up, and cook until meat is browned. Keep stirring and turning to prevent sticking
4. At this point drain all the excess fat from the pan that has been produced
5. Add the wine, stock, tomatoes, tomato puree, dried oregano and salt and pepper. Stir together and bring to boil
6. Cover, turn the heat right down and simmer gently for an hour or so, until meat is cooked through
7. Cook pasta as per pack instructions and serve with your bolognese sauce, grate parmesan over if required

Thai Chicken Lemongrass Soup

2010-10-18T23:34:00.001+01:00

Ingredients

At last - a use for that leftover meat from the Sunday roast that doesn't involve just sticking it into a sandwich for your lunch on Monday.

On this occasion I have made a basic 'make it up as you go' soup from a mix of my fridge and cupboard stand-bys. Served up with some Tesco Premium range Thai Fishcakes bought when on offer from my local supermarket (boy are they good!), and a hot chilli sauce, I have a meal for 3 ready with a minimum of fuss - and washing up!

The amounts of lime juice and zest, red chilli, and fish sauce were purely based on my taste preferences - they are not written in stone so do adjust to your palate. For myself, the pure exciting taste of the combined flavours of the coconut, salty fish sauce, and zesty lime, together with the heat from the fresh chilli, and the subtle but so essential lemon grass are a winning combination, and are so appetizing and satisfying.

To make a hearty meal from the soup just cook a layer (or 2) of your favourite Thai noodles, and stir in to the soup. Add extra vegetables instead of chicken - savoy cabbage, oyster mushrooms, sweetcorn - with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option. Whatever you fancy, stick it in.

Thai Chicken Soup

Serves 3
Cost per Individual Serving   £0.64

Large handful leftover Roast Chicken Breast and Leg meat
2 Sticks Lemon Grass, peeled and sliced as thin as possible   £0.68
400ml Tin Coconut Milk   £0.55
450ml Chicken Stock, made from Knorr Chicken Stock Gel sachet   £0.25 (or any other chicken stock)
1 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped   £0.13
Zest and Juice of 1 Lime   £0.30
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (or to taste)

1. Pour stock and coconut milk into pan on hob and heat on medium until begins to simmer
2. Add the rest of you ingredients. Stir in and bring back to simmer; cook for 10 - 12 min; Serve up !

Ciabatta Burgers

2010-10-14T19:33:00.000+01:00

I'm really treating myself tonight. Following my delicious home-made Carrot Soup, I am having Beefburgers and crispy, warm ciabatta bread.

I love to make my own burgers as I never make them the same way twice - whatever catches my eye in the store cupboard I will add. Today I have opted for some good old English mustard to give the meat a real kick with a capital K. Casting an eye in the fridge I spy a thumb sized chunk of parmesan cheese. Immediately I have the makings of a real tasty feast.

You could just as easily feed a family of four/five with this recipe, possible adding some potato wedges with your meal. This would reduce cost per serving to well under £1.

Serves 2
Cost Per Individual Serving (2 1/2 burgers each)   £1.10

225g Beef Mince   £0.75
1 slice white bread, blitzed to breadcrumbs   approx £0.05
1/3 beaten egg   £0.16
1/4 Onion, finely chopped   £0.04
1/2 heaped Tsp English Mustard (more if prefer stronger taste)
Thumb nail sized piece of Parmesan, grated (or any other cheese)
Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper to season
4 Ciabatta Rolls   £1.19

1. Gently fry onion for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Leave to cool
2. Put mince into a large bowl; add onions, breadcrumbs, mustard, cheese, and egg. Season well
3. Shape into preferred size burgers - I made 5 medium sized ones
4. Put on greaseproof paper and place in fridge for an hour or so
5. Heat oven for ciabattas and heat hob with griddle pan on top to medium-high
6. Cook ciabatta to pack instructions - usually 6-8 min
7. Place burgers on griddle and cook 5-6 min each side until nicely cooked
8. Place in ciabatta breads and add preferred salads, and sauce

Sweet Tangy Chicken Noodles

2010-10-13T18:48:00.001+01:00

I don't know if it is just my taste buds being used to freshly-made oriental cuisine, but on the very odd occasion I find myself eating chinese food I know contains a shop bought sauce, it is invariably a bland experience.

Today I made a chinese sauce to go with chicken breasts and egg noodles. It was quite mild in terms of 'heat' from the chillies and ginger, with a pleasant sweet tangy vibe from the combination of peppers, tomatoes and sugar.

I heartily recommend that the soy sauce is not forgotten at the end of the recipe, as I found the saltiness raised the taste to a much higher level by offering a balanced contrast to the sweetness from the other ingredients.

This is a sauce I have made extra batches for today in order to freeze, so that whenever I am pushed for time I can defrost this beforehand and make a very quick meal with chicken.

Serves 4 (generously)
Cost Per Individual Portion:   £1.48

FOR THE SAUCE

6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 inch piece Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 Red Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped   £0.15
1 Red Pepper, finely sliced   £0.50
3 Tomatoes, chopped   £0.44
7 Tbsp Water
3 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1 1/2 Tsp Soft Light Brown Sugar

REST OF INGREDIENTS

3 Chicken Breasts, sliced   £3.33
180g (3 layers) Medium Egg Noodles, cooked according to packet instructions   £0.64
1 Courgette, thinly sliced   £0.37
1 Red Pepper, thinly sliced   £0.50
Splash of Light Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Groundnut Oil

1. Place all the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend to a paste
2. Add oil to a  hot wok and stir-fry chicken for 3-4 min until browned
3. Add the red pepper and courgette and continue cooking for 2-3 min, until red pepper soft and tender
4. Add sauce and bring to boil - a matter of seconds if wok is hot
5. Add cooked noodles to wok and mix everything together well
6. Add a good splash of soy sauce and serve

Quesadillas and Guacamole

2010-10-12T20:26:00.000+01:00

Tonight's tea-cum-supper witnesses a culinary first - making my own guacamole!

Another plus is that the moody teenager of the household ate 3/4 of her share. Not bad going as the quesadillas were quite filling.

While our quesadillas had a distinctly cheesy aspect to them, I will be experimenting with other fillings as this is, in effect, a Mexican toastie ! I can see this being a typical fast and simple to make tea on a Monday evening in the future, using up the spare meat from the Sunday roast, and any other spare veg in the fridge.

For 3 People
Cost Per Individual Serving   £1.58

Guacamole
1 Avocado £1.09
2 ripe Tomatos, deseeded and chopped £0.26
1 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped £0.10
2 Spring Onions, peeled and sliced   £0.23
Salt, to taste
Squeeze of Lime Juice
Handful Coriander Leaves (home grown)

Quesadillas
250g Red Leicester Cheese, grated   £1.75
6 pack Tortilla Wraps   £0.49
4 Spring Onions, peeled and finely sliced   £0.47
1/2 Red Pepper, finely chopped   £0.25
1 Red Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped £0.10
Handful Coriander Leaves (home grown)

TO MAKE YOUR GUACAMOLE

1. Scoop two-thirds of the avocado flesh, 1 tomato, your chilli and spring onions into a food processor
    with the coriander and blend to a smoothish paste.
2. Pour into a bowl, adding the other tomato, the remainder of the avocado, chopped up, and a pinch of salt.
3. Give it a blast of lime juice and mix well

TO MAKE YOUR QUESADILLAS

1. Mix all your ingredients in a bowl
2. Spread the mixture over one of the tortillas and place the second tortilla on top, as if you were making a sandwich
3. Once the required number of tortillas are prepared, heat a griddle pan and cook each quesadillas on a high heat for
    approximately 2 minutes on each side. The cheese should be nicely melted and gooey
4. Slice into quarters and serve with your freshly made guacamole

Beef Sirloin Steak Wraps

2010-10-10T21:00:00.000+01:00

It is not very often we eat Sirloin cuts of beef - they are most definitely a treat.

For such a simple meal, I love this as there are a variety of flavours all combining to produce an explosion of flavours. Today I had some lettuce to hand. On other occasions I have added diced cucumber, spring onion, red pepper instead of tomato, rocket instead of lettuce, red or white onions. The options are endless. What binds them all together nicely is the soured cream and houmous.

Out local supermarket sells thin cuts, hence they are so much cheaper than a standard sirloin. But as the cuts are not so chunky, our children find them really easy to eat. Add to the fact they are not as tough to chew as rump or frying steak, and taste delightful, it is no surprise that everyone fights over it at the dinner table !

Serves 2 adults and 2 children
Cost per Individual Serving   £1.45

Thin Cut Sirloin Steak 250g, thinly sliced   £3.33
6 pack Tortilla Wraps   £0.49
1/4 Iceberg Lettuce, washed and sliced   £0.12
1/4 Beef Tomato, sliced   £0.12
Houmous 200g   £0.88
Soured Cream 150ml £0.55
Juice of a Lemon   £0.30
2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper, ground

1. Heat a pan until really hot
2. With a sharp knife, score both sides of the meat and rub with the olive oil
3. Sprinkle the paprika over the meat and season to preferred taste
4. Cook steaks to your preferred standard; slice thinly once cooked
5. Put the lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and the extra virgin oil
6. Cook tortillas according to packet instructions
7. Grubs up ! Serve with the houmous and soured cream

Pork, Hoisin and Spinach Stir Fry

2010-10-05T22:01:00.000+01:00

The aroma of Hoisin sauce is one of those magical ingredients in Chinese cooking. Its distinct salty and sweet taste is one that you either love or hate.

If your opinion leans towards the former, there can be no more better match than pork cooked until tender, wrapped in the sticky sauce of hoisin. Today I made a stir fry consisting primarily of those ingredients. Taste-wise it was exquisite, and far healthier than anything you can eat from your local chinese takeaway.

Like all stir frys, it was incredibly fast to cook, once my wok is smoky hot. The art, in my humble opinion, of a successful stir fry is to have your ingredients all chopped and ready to go into the wok when required. You simply don't have time to be messing around preparing ingredients once cooking commences.

Serves 2 adults and 1 child
Cost Per Serving   £1.00

300g Pork Fillet, sliced thinly   £2.30
1 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped £0.12
80g Young Leaf Spinach   £0.17
Juice of small Lime   £0.30
100g Basmati Rice   £0.10
1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1/2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 large Garlic Clove, thinly sliced

1. Mix together until smooth the hoisin and soy sauce with the lime juice
2. Put your wok on a high heat and add vegetable oil
3. Once oil is hot and smoking stir fry the garlic and chilli for a few seconds; add pork
4. Keep stiring the wok contents for 3-4 min until pork is cooked
5. Add the spinach and sauce mixture; stir for 2-3 min until spinach starts to wilt
6. Ready to serve; ENJOY !!

Miso Tuna Steaks

2010-10-03T22:20:00.066+01:00

Tuna is one of the types of fish that is a must have for a healthy diet. Japanese cuisine is one of the most beneficial healthwise in the world, and tuna is a staple food in their diet.

However, tuna can be a tad on the bland side and so has not always been top of my shopping list. However, the miso glaze of this Japanese recipe amazingly lifts this dish to another dimension, with the combination of the salty and sweet sauce complementing the fish perfectly. The steamed green pak choi and the noodles make up a light, but nutritional meal. Low in fat but high in protein - it is a complete winner!!

An added bonus is there are few ingredients to prepare, and it is incredibly fast to make. Of course, at £3.48 for two adult servings, it once again proves that extremely healthy, but exciting food can be prepared on a tight budget.

Serves 2
Cost Per Serving £1.74
2 Frozen Fresh Tuna Steaks, defrosted £1.20
3 Pak choi, separated £1.00
2 sachets Yutaka Miso Paste £0.64
150g Straight To Wok Noodles £0.63
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp Mirin

1. In a small saucepan add miso, sugar, mirin; warm gently until sugar dissolves
2. Cook noodles according to pack instructions
3. Steam or boil Pak choi until cooked
4. Grill tuna two minutes on each side
5. Coat one side of tuna with miso mix and grill until cooked to preference
6. Arrange Pak Choi on plate, add noodles; place tuna on top

Chicken Fajitas

2010-09-28T18:37:00.002+01:00

Tuesday is one of those rare times in our household - we all sit down together as a family to eat ! Not that we are dysfunctional in any capacity, but it is the one 'night off' from the array of post school clubs and activities the children are involved with.

So tonight I have bowed to pressure and made the one meal guaranteed to see an empty plate all round and, most importantly, no groans or complaints about another of Dad's healthy but 'horrible' meals!

Served 2 adults and 2 children
Total Cost: £4.33

2 Chicken Breasts, sliced £2.00
8 Tortilla Wraps £1.00
1 Red Pepper, sliced £0.70
Handful of Mushrooms, sliced £0.30
1 Onion, diced £0.10
1/2 pack Fajita Spice Mix £0.23
1 tbsp Sunflower oil

1. Mix spice mix with chicken and oil
2. Stir fry on high heat in large wok the chicken until browned - approx 3 min
3. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, and onion - stir for 2-3 min until cooked
4. Serve with microwaved/grilled tortilla wraps

Fast Prawn Frittata

2010-09-25T19:34:00.045+01:00

Fast Prawn Frittata

This recipe has everything going for it - fast to make, not much preparation, really healthy, and keeps well within my 'Less Than £5 ' philosophy. There is little skill involved, so anyone can make this - it is just a glorified omelette.

The idea for it came from my latest cookery bible, Bobby Chinn's Vietnamese Food. Inside is a recipe for Trung Duc Thit, Minced Pork Omelette. Chinn says the pork can be substituted, which is what I have done.

I had been looking for a good introduction book to Vietnamese cuisine, and stumbled across this. The clincher was the foreword by Anthony Bourdain, who confidently states 'What Bobby doesn't know about Southeast Asian food is not worth knowing.' That was good enough for me !

Serves 2
Cost Per Individual Serving £1.80

200g Raw King Prawns, chopped £2.50
4 large Free Range Eggs, beaten £1.00
2 Spring Onions, sliced home grown
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
Chopped Red Chilli 10p
Few Sprigs Fresh Coriander, garnish

1. Add oil to non-stick pan and heat to medium
2. Mix prawns with the eggs and spring onions
3. Add 1/2 the mixture to pan and ensure mixture well spread over surface
4. Turn heat down to low as mixture begins to set, using a spatula to ensure not burning or sticking
5. After approx 5 min flip over your frittata and allow to cook for 5 min, or until egg is set and prawns are cooked (pink)
6. Repeat with remaining half of mixture
7. Serve once cooked and add fish sauce and chopped red chilli to taste

Blueberry Muffins

2010-09-24T20:12:00.001+01:00

Blueberry Muffins

I am delighted with how these Blueberry Muffins have turned out. They really are a delicious treat to be enjoyed with a cuppa when you can grab 5 minutes peace. As an aside, I'm quite pleased with the photograph too ! I never knew how difficult it was to capture in a photograph the aesthetics of cooking.

FOR THE TOPPING
40g Plain White Flour
13g Soft Brown Sugar
25g Unsalted Butter

1. Blend ingredients in a processor, or mix together using fingertips, until it resembles a crumble-type mixture

FOR THE MUFFINS
250g soft Unsalted Butter
200g superfine Caster Sugar
4 Eggs, and an Extra Yoke, lightly beaten
250g Plain White Flour, sifted
2 tsp Baking Powder, sifted
100g Blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F (180C Fan Oven)
2. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
3. Add the egg mixture a little at a time; beat well before adding more
4. Gently mix in the flour and baking powder; add the blueberries
5. Place muffin cases into muffin tin and divide the dough between them (I made 15 from the above ingredients)
6. Sprinke the topping mixture over the dough; cook for approx 20-25 min until golden brown

Vietnamese Pork

2010-09-24T19:48:00.002+01:00

My interest in Vietnamese food has risen tenfold in the last year. The first time I consciously created a cuisine from this country it was cold fried lean pork mince, mixed with a tangy, salty sauce of refreshing lime, the ubiquitous fish sauce, and fresh red chillies. Served cold on top of lettuce leaves it is classic Vietnamese finger food, and incredibly healthy.

Today I decided to create this recipe, based on a recipe in 'Vietnamese Food' by Bobby Chinn, as I had finally managed to hunt down the must have ingredient that gives so many Vietnamese dishes the true ring of authenticity - palm sugar. The recipe is in 2 parts. First you need to create a caramel sauce, before braising the pork in a broth of sauce, of which the caramel sauce is the main ingredient.

It was a pleasant meal to eat - the salty, peppery pork and the sweetness of the 'broth' complemented each other really surprisngly well. At £1.30 per individual serving, it is something I will be making again and again, perhaps though with leaner cuts of meat.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: Approx 45 min - 55 min

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE
100 g Palm Sugar   £1.00
90 ml Hot Water

1. Melt sugar in saucepan on VERY LOW heat until melted
2. Turn heat to high and allow to brown and caramelize, swirling pan constantly
3. Once it begins to smoke, remove from heat and add water.

COOKING THE PORK
200g Pork Belly, cut into small cubes (skin removed)   £1.40
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 tsp Fish Sauce
1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1/2 tsp Light Soy Sauce

100g Rice   20p

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pork in a saucepan; add half the warm caramel sauce
2. Mix and leave for 5-10 min
3. Stir saucepan of meat over medium heat for 10 min
4. Pour in 110 ml water; add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and remaining caramel sauce
5. Cover and braise over low heat for approx 30 min, or until pork is cooked through
6. Cook desired amount of rice (I used 100g for 2 people)
7. Serve braised pork over bowl of cooked rice. Pour over remaining juices

This recipe served 2 adults
Cost Per Individul Serving   £1.30

TOP TIP
Make more of the caramel sauce than required for this recipe and freeze the surplus in small batches, as many Vietnamese recipes require small quantities of this sauce

Banana Cake

2010-09-21T12:15:00.007+01:00

I had ripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl yesterday so decided to make my second Banana Cake in as many weeks. I used the same recipe as on my previous Banana Cake blog. This time however I left out the lemon juice from the icing.

Tuna Nicoise Salad

2010-09-19T21:59:00.006+01:00

Tuna Nicoise Salad

I looked in my fridge, freezer and food cupboards and decided to make this nice simple salad for Sunday dinner.

Preparing it was nice and straightforward - eggs hard boiled in the morning while having breakfast, and spuds boiled while preparing a sandwich. So it was more of an assembly operation than having to be concerned with multiple pans all demanding attention at the same time - a usual Sunday dinner demand.

It was surprisingly a hit with Jim, my 8 yr old son. He ate all of his up, which gave me a good buzz afterwards.

Mind you, the only problem I had was that I had the munchies seriously come supper time - but managed to resist hitting the snacks, and undoing all the benefits of eating greens !

Prep: 12 min (if prepared simultaneously)
Cooking: all in the prep !

1 frozen Tuna Steak, defrosted   60p
2 large Free Range Eggs   50p
2 Little Gem Lettuces, leaves separated and washed   87p
250g New Potatoes (from the garden)
1 small Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
3/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Basil, chopped
Handful of small Tomatoes, halved
1/4 size Cucumber, chopped
3 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Total Cost   £2.07
This recipe happily served 2 adults and an 8 yr old.

1.  Put eggs in saucepan of water. Cook for 7-9 min once water boiling. Rinse under cold tap; leave to cool
2. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until cooked (test with a knife - should slide through easily). Drain and cool
3. Lightly brush tuna with a little olive oil and season. Cook in pan until just cooked through (approx 3-4 min each side)
4. Mix the mustard, garlic, basil and seasoning together. Whisk in the oilive oil
5. Assemble your lettuce onto plates; add potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, and eggs (quartered)
6. Flake the tuna and add to plates; pour over your creamy dressing

Turkey Curry

2010-09-17T18:27:00.005+01:00

I love a nice curry, particularly on a Friday evening with a nice cold lager!

This is another recipe that I cook and freeze in batches. Preparation was as easy as cooking a pan of basmati rice and grilling a naan bread while the defrosted curry was heating through on the hob.

When I cook a curry, I sometimes make it up on the spot, as was the case here. I had only an onion to hand. On other occasions I have added items like chopped mushrooms, sliced red or green pepper, and chopped red chillie.

Turkey Curry

The following recipe has made enough for three main family meals and one to be eaten with a jacket potato or inside a couple of chapatis. It just depends how big you like your portions. However, at an approx cost of only £1.62 to feed a family of 2 adults and 2 children per meal this must rate as one of the best, if not the best, meals I have blogged to date, in terms of the holy grail of taste, economy and health benefits.

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 40-45 min

Serves 6 - 8

Cost Per Individual Serving £ 0.60p

878g pack fresh Turkey Fillets, cubed £5.00

2 x 400g tin Chopped Tomatoes £1.16

1 large Onion, peeled and finely chopped 15p approx

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp oil

1 1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Chilli Powder (or more/less depending on how hot you like your curry)

2 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Ground Coriander

1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Salt

100g Basmati Rice, cooked to packet instructions 16p

1. Heat oil and cook onion and garlic gently in a large pan until soft

2. Add turkey pieces and turn up heat. Stir for a few mins

3. Add the spices (minus garam masala) and stir until meat browned

4. Add chopped tomatoes, salt to taste and bring to boil

5. Simmer gently with lid on pan for approx 25 min

6. Stir in garam masala and cook for another 10 min, or until meat cooked

Top Tip - if you are reheating the curry from frozen you may want to add a couple of dollops of natural yoghurt to give it a creamier texture, or add a small piece of creamed coconut block just before serving to give it a nice Korma feel.