Food!

"Food, Glorious Food..." One of my favourite pastimes is eating good food. Sadly, with the progression of time I now have to watch my calorie and fat intake - no longer can I eat anything I want and not put on any weight (boo hiss).

I intend to include some of my favourite recipes here. As I'm not in the masterchef class, I prefer them to be easy, quick, tasty, filling, and fairly healthy. I also try to ensure that the recipes use low-cost ingredients - a legacy from my student days I suspect! Now that we have children, I also want the meals to be healthy and appealing to them too.

All the recipes listed here serve 2 people and 2 young children.

Chicken Broccoli Rice

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, diced(boneless, skinless)

1 stick broccoli, divided into small florets

1 cup (approx 8oz or 400g) long-grain or easy-cook rice

1 onion, diced

1.25 pint chicken and vegetable stock

Seasoning

Mixed herbs

Olive oil

Method:

Lightly fry the diced onion and mixed herbs in the olive oil.
Add the diced chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until the meat is white.
Add the rice and mix thoroughly to coat with the oil.
Add the chicken and vegetable stock and broccoli florets, and stir thoroughly.
Cover pan with a tightly fitting lid, and leave for 10-15 minutes.
Remove lid and stir. The rice should have absorbed almost all the stock, but not be dry. Season to taste.
Serve on warmed plates.

Tips:

This recipe tastes wonderful served with granary bread or rolls.
Sliced mushrooms or any other desired ingredients may be added at stage 4.

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Bacon and Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

Approx. 350g bacon pieces, chopped

1 tin skinned plum tomatoes, chopped (or equivalent fresh tomatoes, chopped)

2 portions dried or fresh small pasta shells or twists

Worcester Sauce (or other spicy seasoning sauce)

Seasoning

Mixed herbs

Olive oil

Cornflour (optional)

Method:

Lightly fry the diced onion and mixed herbs in the olive oil.
While the onion is cooking, add the pasta to a large pan of boiling water and boil for required time.
Add the diced bacon and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, Worcester sauce, and seasoning, cover with a lid and gently simmmer over a low heat.
Optional: When the pasta is cooked, mix a little cornflour with cold water and stir into the sauce mixture.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add it to the sauce mixture
Stir well, and serve on warmed plates.

Tips:

This recipe tastes wonderful served with granary bread or rolls. A little grated cheese may be sprinkled over the top if desired.
Sliced mushrooms or any other desired ingredients may be added to the sauce mixture at stage 4.
Try using bacon pieces, which are available in packs from butchers and some supermarkets, and generally are much cheaper than sliced bacon. I buy these in 1kg packs, which I divide into 3 portions and freeze until needed.

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Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:

2 portions dried or fresh small pasta shells or twists

1 onion, diced

1 tin skinned plum tomatoes, chopped (or equivalent fresh tomatoes, chopped)

2 courgettes, sliced

4 mushrooms, sliced

Dessertspoon of sliced black olives

Worcester Sauce (or other spicy seasoning sauce)

Seasoning

Mixed herbs

Olive oil

Cornflour (optional)

Method:

Lightly fry the diced onion and mixed herbs in the olive oil.
While the onion is cooking, add the pasta to a large pan of boiling water and boil for required time.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover with a lid and gently simmmer over a low heat.
Optional: When the pasta is cooked, mix a little cornflour with cold water and stir into the sauce mixture.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add it to the sauce mixture
Stir well, and serve on warmed plates.

Tips:

This recipe tastes wonderful served with granary bread or rolls. A little grated cheese may be sprinkled over the top if desired.

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Mediterranean Tuna Pasta

Ingredients:

2 portions dried or fresh small pasta pieces such as penne, shells or twists

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 small can of tuna (flakes or chunks) in brine, drained

1 tin skinned plum tomatoes, chopped (or equivalent fresh tomatoes, chopped)

1 small green peppers, sliced

1 small red pepper, sliced

Dessertspoon of sliced black olives

1 fresh chilli, chopped (or a small amount of chilli powder)

Seasoning

Fresh or dried basil, chopped

Olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon (or equivalent bottled concentrate)

Method:

Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling water and boil for approximately 10 minutes.
In a different pan, lightly fry the onion, garlic, and basil in the olive oil.
Add the remaining ingredients, cover with a lid and gently simmmer over a low heat.
Optional: When the pasta is cooked, mix a little cornflour with cold water and stir into the sauce mixture to thicken.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and then add it to the sauce mixture.
Stir well and serve on warmed plates, garnishing with fresh basil if available.

Tips:

This recipe tastes wonderful served with garlic bread or hot crusty rolls.

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Ham and Mushroom Taglietelle

Ingredients:

2 portions of fresh or dried taglietelle

1 onion, diced

Small amount of cooked ham, chopped

1 can of condensed mushroom soup

Seasoning

Fresh basil leaves, torn

Method:

Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling water and boil until cooked (approx. 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 minutes for fresh pasta)
In a different pan, heat up the condensed soup, and add the ham, onion, and seasoning.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and pour over the sauce, mixing well to cover the pasta.
Serve on warmed plates, garnishing with fresh basil if available.

Tips:

Many other ingredients may be added or substituted in to the sauce. Two of my favourites are chopped mushrooms and diced red and green peppers.

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Spinach Sausage Pasta

A little more work for the adults with this one, but a fabulous taste with healthy ingredients. This dish also appeals to children with it's bright colours and easiness to eat. Takes approx. 45 minutes to prepare and cook. Family size (2 adults & 2 young children).

Ingredients:: 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 1 onion, roughly chopped; Sprinkle of dried garlic (or 2 crushed fresh garlic cloves); Sprinkle of dried basil and oregano (or a handful if using the chopped fresh herbs); 6 sausages, chopped into roughly 1 inch pieces; 1 handful mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Dash of worcester sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
Half a tube of tomato puree
1 tablespoon sugar
25g butter
25g plain flour
1 pint cold milk
500g pack fresh spinach leaves
250g pasta shapes (fresh or dried)
Method:

Pre-heat the oven to approx 180 - 200 degrees C.
Half-fill the largest pan you have with boiling salted water, and cook the pasta shapes as directed on the packet. When ready, remove from the heat.
In the meantime, heat a large pan and add the olive oil, onion, garlic, & herbs. Fry for approx. 4 minutes until the onion starts to turn golden.
Add the sausage pieces and cook for approx. 8 minutes until they start to turn golden, turning regularly.
Whilst the sausages are cooking, put the spinach leaves into a large microwavable bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Cover and vent, and cook on high power for 2 minutes. Leave until needed later.
Add the mushrooms to the sausage mixture. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, worcester sauce, tomato ketchup, tomato puree, and sugar. Stir well and leave to cook for over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Put the butter, flour, and milk into a separate pan, and stir continuously over a medium heat with a whisk until it just comes to the boil and turns into a rich white sauce. Turn down the heat to low, and gently cook, still stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Now assemble the dish: put a layer of the sausage mixture in the bottom of a large baking dish (something you'd use for lasagne), followed by a layer of spinach, followed by a layer of white sauce. Repeat as often as required to use up the ingredients or fill the dish.
Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.

Tips:

This tastes great with a large portion of garlic bread, cooked in the oven at step 10.
Serve with a glass of red merlot, shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon wine!
Leftover portions may be frozen and reheated thoroughly in a microwave or pan.

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Mediterranean Chicken Rice

Quick and tasty for adults (and only 1 pan to wash!), this appeals to children with it's bright colours and easiness to eat. Takes approx. 20 - 25 minutes to prepare and cook. Family size (2 adults & 2 young children).

Ingredients:: 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 1 onion, roughly chopped; Sprinkle of dried garlic (or 2 crushed fresh garlic cloves); Sprinkle of dried basil and oregano (or a handful if using the chopped fresh herbs); 1 chicken breast, boned, skinned, & diced; 1 large courgette, roughly chopped (or brocolli florets or chopped bell pepper)
1 handful mushrooms, roughly chopped
5oz basmati rice
1 chicken stock cube
1 vegetable stock cube
16 fl. oz. hot water
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Dash of worcester sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
Method:

Heat a large pan and add the olive oil, onion, garlic, & herbs. Fry until the onion starts to turn golden.
Add the chicken, and cook until sealed on the outside.
Add the courgette and mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile boil the water and add to the 2 stock cubes in a separate jug; stir until dissolved.
Add the rice to the pan and stir around, ensuring that it becomes coated with the food already in the pan.
Add the stock and stir well, ensuring that none of the rice is stuck to the pan.
Add the chopped tomatoes, worcester sauce, and tomato ketchup.
Stir well, cover, and leave to cook for 10-12 minutes over a low heat, removing the lid only once or twice during cooking to stir. The rice should be cooked perfectly and all the liquid absorbed.
Serve and enjoy.