Sunday, 21 December 2014

Chestnut Stuffing

Two tins chestnut puree
6 cooked and peeled chestnuts (roughly chopped)
1 chopped onion
8 rashers streaky bacon, chopped (not too small)
2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce (the one with the whole cranberries in it)
Salt and pepper
Oil to cook
Bottle of red wine

Take a sip of red wine

Put 2 tsps oil into a thick bottom pan
Add the chopped onions and cook for a few mins until the onions turn translucent
Add chopped bacon and cook on fast heat so bacon crisps slightly

Take another sip of wine

Add the chestnut puree and the chopped chestnuts and cook for a short while until the puree begins to soften. Add salt and pepper to taste and the cranberry sauce.

Have a good old slug of wine

Transfer into lightly oiled baking dish and cook in oven for about 30 minutes. Bring out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving (this intensifies the flavours).

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Bread Sauce

Roughly cut 2 medium onions and place in medium pan. Add about a pint of milk and a touch of salt and pepper and bring to the biol and simmer for about 15 mins until the onions are soft.

Turn off the heat and leave the taste to infuse for as long as you can wait (an hour is good).

Bring back to the boil just before you are ready to serve and add a good sized know of butter (optional but makes it slightly richer in flavour). Take off the heat.

Tear up around 6 slices of bread (crusts n all) and add to the milk. Use a fork to mix in. Add more bread/milk until the mixture is the consistency of thick lumpy double cream.

Serve!



Sunday, 7 December 2014

Roly Poly

When I was in America I had some Mexican street food. Not sure what it was called but this is the closest I can get to it.

Tin of tomatoes
Mince
Soured cream
Pitta bread or tortilla wraps
Beansprouts
Chile powder
Tin of Homepride Barbecue sauce
Salt and pepper
Onions and peppers
Oil
Grated cheddar cheese (or similar)

Chop the onions and peppers into slices (not too small). Fry them in oil until golden brown. Add 2 teaspoonfuls (or more) of hot chili powder. Add mince and salt and pepper and cook for about 20 mins.

To the mince etc add the tin of BBQ sauce and keep on slow simmer.

Heat up the tomatoes and add any herbs or seasoning as required

Warm up the pitta bread or tortilla wraps.

At the last minute, add the beansprouts to the mince mixture and cook for about 5 mins (or less - the beansprouts need to still be crisp).

Prepare:

Open a pitta bread or a tortilla wrap
Add a dollop of grated cheese
Add a dollop of the mince mixture
Add a dollop of heated tomatoes
Add a dollop of soured cream
If in a tortilla wrap, roll up to form roly poly

Eat and enjoy




Tomato Meatballs

1 litre tomato juice
Mince
Redcurrant Jelly
Creamed Horseradish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Something else - I will remember in a minute

Pour most of the tomato juice into a large heavy saucepan (the rest of course needs to be poured into a glass and drunk).

Add 3 LARGE teaspoons of redcurrant and 3 LARGE of horseradish. Add salt and pepper and a splodge of Worcestershire sauce ) oops forgot to mention that in the ingredients above :(

Turn on the heat and boil quite fast for 10 minutes.

Open the mince and squirt a bit of Worcestershire sauce all over then make it loose balls about --------------------- that in diameter!! Don't squidge them, leave them loose.

Throw them artistically into the boiling tommy juice mixture and cook for about 20 mins on a rolling boil. To be honest they are best if you, once cooked, allow the whole thing to cool down overnight in the fridge and warm up again the next day. The sauce goes thicker and yummier!

Serve with rice or pasta and broccoli or whatever else you want.  Enjoy :)

Special Bematmo Sauce

Well this is easy - it is a simple white sauce with tomato ketchup added. Joe's favourite for many months - with macaroni or fish fingers....

I was going to upload an image of this sauce but weirdly there aren't any on google!!!