Spanish meatball & butter bean stew

Ingredients

• 350g lean pork mince
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 peppers, sliced, any colour will do
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 400g can butter beans, drained
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar
• small bunch parsley, chopped
• crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Season the pork, working the seasoning in with your hands, then shape into small meatballs. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the meatballs and cook for 5 mins, until golden brown all over. Push to one side of the pan and add the onion and peppers. Cook for a further 5 mins, stirring now and then, until the veg has softened, then stir in the garlic and paprika. Stir everything around in the pan for 1 min, then add the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 mins.2
2. Uncover, stir in the beans, the sugar and some seasoning, then simmer for a further 10 mins, uncovered. Just before serving, stir in the parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dunking, if you like

Fruit & nut breakfast bowl

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp porridge oats
• 2 oranges
• just under ½ x 200ml tub 0% fat Greek-style yogurt
• 60g pot raisins, nuts, goji berries and seeds

Method

1. Put the oats in a non-stick pan with 400ml water and cook over the heat, stirring occasionally for about 4 mins until thickened
2. Meanwhile, cut the peel and pith from the oranges then slice them in half, cutting down either side, as closely as you can, to where the stalk would be as this will remove quite a tough section of the membrane. Now just chop the oranges.
3. Pour the porridge into bowls, spoon on the yogurt then pile on the oranges and the fruit, nut and seed mixture.

Gnocchi with lemon & chive pesto

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• small bunch chives, snipped
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan, or vegetarian alternative, plus extra for serving
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 500g pack gnocchi

Method

1.Place the garlic, herbs, pine nuts, cheese and lemon zest in a small bowl, season well, then stir in the olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.

2.Cook the gnocchi in a pan of salted boiling water following pack instructions, then drain well. Tip into a serving bowl and toss through the pesto. Serve with extra grated Parmesan, if you like.

St Clement’s pie

 

Ingredients

For the crust

•     250g light digestive biscuit
•     100g cornflake
•     85g butter
•     Butter, melted
•     140g caster sugar 

 For the filling

• 1 large egg, plus 4 large egg yolks
• 397g can light condensed milk
• zest and juice 3 lemons
• zest and juice 2 oranges

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit a fluted 20cm round loose-bottomed tin (about 5cm deep, or a slightly shallower 22cm tin) on a baking sheet. Break the biscuits into a big bowl, or double-bag them in food bags, and bash to big crumbs with the end of a rolling pin or small saucepan. Add the cornflakes and bash a bit more to crumbs. Mix with the melted butter and sugar and press into the base and sides of the tin. Bake for 15 mins, then remove and reduce oven temperature to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
2. Whisk egg and yolks in a big bowl until pale and frothy. Whisk in the condensed milk, followed by the zests and juices. Pour in the tin and bake for 20 mins. Cool in the tin, then chill for at least 5 hrs, or overnight.
3. Whip the cream, yogurt and icing sugar together. Dollop on the pie and scatter with zest to serve

 

 

 

A Healthy Lunch

Quinoa tabbouleh

 

 

Ingredients

• 100g dried quinoa

• 75g parsley, roughly chopped

• 300g tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice (no need to remove the seeds)

• 100g cucumber, cut into small dice

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil 

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

• juice and zest ½ lemon 

• drop of vanilla extract

• 1 tsp rice syrup or agave

• pinch of Himalayan pink salt

• ½ garlic clove, crushed

• 50g salad leaves, to serve

  Method

  1. Cook the quinoa following pack instructions, then set aside to cool.

  2. Make the dressing by adding the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, rice syrup, pinch of salt and garlic into a jug and whisk until smooth. Mix this into the quinoa and mix together with all the other ingredients. Serve on a bed of salad leaves.

   

   

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

First off...

This s a blog about cooking and different kinds of cuisines around the world. 
Firstly, I would like to start witha simple recipe.

Minted melon, tomato & prosciutto salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• about 500g different-coloured heirloom tomatoes, chopped into large chunks (smaller ones left whole or halved)
• 1 Charentais melon, segmented and cut into chunks roughly the same size as the tomatoes
• 12 slices prosciutto- the best you can afford
• handful mint, leaves picked, shredded
• crusty bread, to serve
• For the dressing
• 1 ½ tbsp Sherry or red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp honey  

 
 Method

1. To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Toss the tomatoes and melon together in a bowl with a little dressing, some sea salt and black pepper. Loosely lay the prosciutto over a platter and pile the tomatoes and melon on top. Drizzle with extra dressing, scatter with mint and serve straight away with crusty bread.