Buttery Trout with Capers

This recipe is from BBC Good Food.  It's actually my first time to try cooking fish--and it's ever so easy and delicious with this recipe.  It's healthy and packed with Omega 3--will definitely be a sure hit with your friends!

I served it with steamed beans and potato wedges on the side.  

I simply boiled the potato wedges for 10 minutes, drained them, and roasted them in a 200C oven for 30-40 minutes. 

Ingredients

4 thick trout fillets

100g butter

squeeze lemon juice

handful parsley , leaves chopped

2 tbsp capers , rinsed

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Rinse the fish, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Put in a roasting tray, season, then dot with a third of the butter. Roast for 10-12 mins.
2. When the fish is almost ready, melt the remaining butter in a frying pan. Turn up the heat until it turns brown. Take off the heat, then add lemon juice, parsley and capers. Pour over the fish, then serve with green beans.

Teriyaki chicken with steamed sesame veg

• If you are running out of ideas for chicken, this will definitely excite you!  It's definitely a dinner party recipe that will surely impress your friends!
  
  What's more, it's so healthy and packed with flavour.
  
  SOURCE: TESCO REAL FOOD
  
  
  INGREDIENTS:
  
  
  3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dry sherry
• 1½ tbsp brown sugar
• 500g pack chicken thigh fillets
• 1 large carrot
• 175g pack  Baby Corn
• 215g pack  Sugar Snaps
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 salad onions, shredded

For the teriyaki sauce, heat the soy sauce, sherry, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

Halve the chicken fillets and put in a dish. Pour over half the sauce and marinate for at least 20 minutes. Peel and cut the carrots into batons and steam for 10 minutes. Add the corn and sugar snaps and steam for 5 minutes until tender.

Heat a griddle pan and cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes until browned. Meanwhile, reduce the reserved sauce in a separate pan.

Toss the steamed vegetables with the sesame seeds and salad onions. Serve with three pieces of chicken each and drizzle over the sauce. Serve with rice.

Caraway Pork Chops

• This is a really easy, no-fuss pork chop recipe.  It's really surprisingly flavourful, considering that it only requires 3 ingredients!!
  
  
  
  
  
  SOURCE: TESCO REAL FOOD
  
  
  INGREDIENTS:
  
  
  1tsp caraway seeds
• pinch salt
• 1 lemon
• 2 pork chops
• 1tbsp olive oil

Heat the oven to Gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Crush the caraway seeds and salt together using a pestle and mortar until they make a coarse powder. Grate the lemon rind and ad to the caraway seeds, then rub all over the pork chops.

Heat the oil in a griddle pan (or frying pan) and fry the pork chops for a couple of minutes on each side until just brown.

Transfer to a roasting tin, Cut the lemon into wedges and add to the pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the pork is tender and no longer pink in the centre.

Squeeze over the juice from the roasted lemons and serve with steamed purple sprouting broccoli on the side.

Penne Bolognese

This is a really quick and affordable pasta recipe.  The carrots serve as an extender to add volume to the pasta bake.  It's really easy to make and so yummy.

Source: Tesco Real Food 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 500g (1lb) minced beef or lamb
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2tsp plain flour
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• freshly ground black pepper
• 275g (9oz) penne pasta
• 25g (1oz) Cheddar cheese, grated

Place the minced beef or lamb and onion in a large pan and fry with the chopped onions until the meat has browned all over. There's no need for oil as there's enough fat in the mince. You may like to drain off some of the fat when the meat is cooked.

Add carrots to the meat, and sprinkle over the flour. Cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes until the flour has been absorbed, then add the tomatoes. Season to taste. Simmer the mince for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil, and cook the penne until al dente, which should be about 10 minutes. Drain and place in an oven proof dish, keeping warm. Pour the bolognese sauce over the top of the penne, stirring it into the pasta. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and grill until hot and bubbling.

Easy Chicken, Leek & Mushroom Pie

I never thought that I would be able to do something like this from scratch!  There's a bit of a shortcut in this recipe as it uses ready-to-roll puff pastry!  It's really easy to do make.

Source: Somerfield Magazine

(Serves 2)

2  chicken breasts, diced
200g button mushrooms
1 large leek, sliced
190 g ready-to-roll puff pastry
200 ml creme fraiche
15 ml olive oil
10 ml dried tarragon
beaten egg to glaze

Preheat the oven to 200 C  (400 F) gas mark 6.  Using a medium-sized pie dish as a template, cut a pastry lid.  Scorte the pastry with a crisscross pattern.  Brush with egg and place on a greased baking sheet.  Cook in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Heat the oil in a saucepan.  Add the leeks and cook for 4 minutes.  Increase the heat slightly, add the chicken and fry for 6-8 minutes, until it is browned.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, before adding the creme fraiche and tarragon.  Heat the mixture for a further 2-3 minutes until the sauce is warmed through and transfer to the pie dish.  Top with the pastry crust and serve immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls

My adopted mother, Margaret mentioned how lovely Cinnabon rolls are.  I think she had it America when she visited her brother-in-law.  I suddenly thought I have forgotten how nice they were.  It was an absolute treat when I had them in Manila.  I searched for a Cinnabon-like recipe online and came across this.
It came out perfectly--and was just as nice as the authentic one!

(Source: Food.com, recipe by Lightly Toasted)

Ingredients: (makes 12 buns)

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour

FILLING

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup margarine, softened

ICING

• 8 tablespoons margarine
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1 For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

2 Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.

3 Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.

4 Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

5 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.

6 It should be approx 1/4 inch thick.

7 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

8 To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

9 Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.

10 Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.

11 Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.

12 Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.

13 While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.

14 Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.

15. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Napoletana Pizza

My husband is a pizza-natic!  It's my least favourite food though.  I find it a bit greasy and filling--at least the commercial type.  After a lot of thought,  I decided to have a go at making a hand-tossed one, with more greens, and less grease.  I must admit, was really good!

This was my first ever attempt in making pizza from scratch--the dough was handmade, and it was really a joy to make.  I love the clay-like texture that reminded me of play-doh!

I got the recipe from the Italian TV celebrity chef, Gino D'Acampo, who happens to be one of the cutest chefs on the planet!

Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• 140ml/ 5 oz warm water
• 180g/ 6 oz '00' strong plain flour
• 1tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil

For the Topping:

• 5tbsp Italian olive oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 1 green pepper, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 mozzarella balls, torn into chunks
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• 4tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
• 10 slices of Salame Napoli

1. Mix the salt and the yeast in a bowl with the water.
2. In another large bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour and add the water mixture and extra virgin olive oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon until you create a doughy texture. Turn out the dough onto a clean well-floured surface and work it with your hands for approximately 3 minutes.
3. Place in a bowl, with a towel, leave in a warm place and allow to rest for least 30 minutes until the dough nearly doubles in size. At this stage, pre-heat the oven at 220ºC.
4. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add in the onion and sliced peppers, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened. Place in a bowl and allow to cool.
5. Once the dough is ready, turn out onto a floured surface and create a round pizza shape approximately 25cm in diameter.
6. Place the pizza base on a baking tray that’s been brushed with oil. Using a tablespoon, spread the tomatoes on top of the dough and season with salt and pepper. Add the peppers, the basil and the mozzarella and drizzle the extra virgin olive oil on top. Cook in the middle of the oven for approx. 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove and place on the salame, cook for a further 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Credit Crunch Lasagne

My husband just cooked this Credit Crunch version of Lasagne.  Very nice and affordable indeed!




Gordon's Classic Lasagne al Forno - Serves 4  

Ingredients

1/2 large onion 
1 large carrot 
2 cloves garlic, peeled 
2 pinches dried oregano 
300g minced beef 
1 tablespoon tomato purée 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
1 bay leaf 
30ml (2 tbsp) red wine 
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
50ml milk

For the sauce: 25g butter 
25g flour 
300ml milk 
Pinch of ground nutmeg 
60g cheddar cheese, grated 
30g parmesan cheese, grated 
6 sheets of 'non-cook' lasagne sheets

For the salad: 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
1 x round lettuce head, rinsed and dried

Olive oil 
Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 225c.

Heat the olive oil in a hot pan.  Grate the onion and carrot and crush the garlic before frying together. Season with the bay leaf, a pinch of oregano, Worcestershire sauce and a little salt and pepper.  Allow the onion to soften before making a well in the centre of the pan.  Place the mince in the middle of the pan and stir to break it up. Add the tomato puree and allow to cook out for 30 seconds. Continue until all the meat has browned nicely. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes.  Leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.  Finally add the milk, turn off the heat and set aside. 

To make the cheese sauce, first melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the flour and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a paste.  Over a gentle heat add a third of the milk, whisking to prevent any lumps forming.  Add the rest of the milk a third at a time, whisking as you go. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Allow the sauce to cook out for another minute before adding the cheddar cheese.  Stir and remove from the heat.

Spoon half of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and place pasta sheets on top (break the sheets if necessary to avoid any overlapping).  Next pour in just under half of the cheese sauce, and spread evenly using a spatula before spooning the remaining meat on top.  Add the final layer of pasta and use the spatula to pour over the remaining cheese sauce.  

Finish with the grated parmesan and sprinkle with another pinch of oregano.  Add a light seasoning of salt and pepper before cleaning the edges of the dish and placing in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

In the bottom of your salad bowl use a fork to whisk together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Carefully open the head of lettuce, season inside with salt and pepper.  Upend the lettuce headfirst into the salad bowl.  Holding the root, wipe the leaves around the bowl to coat in the vinaigrette.  Twist the root and pull it out.  Turn the dressed head of lettuce onto a large plate and gently open out. 

Portion out the lasagne and serve alongside the salad. 

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