Category: Main Courses

Puttanesca Pork Chops
2 servings
Ingredients
2 boneless pork loin chops, each about ¾ inch thick
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 anchovy fillets, minced, or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
2 cups cherry or plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup pitted black olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1/4 cup dry white wine
! tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the pork. Cook, turning once until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers 140°F, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the wine and cook for one minute. Add the garlic and anchovies (or anchovy paste) to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes break down and the sauce is thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Return the pork and any juices to the pan, turning to coat with the sauce. Top the pork with the sauce.

Seafood Stew
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 thin carrot, diced
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
½ cup diced rutabaga (or potato)
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon seafood (Old Bay) seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (chili)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 large plum tomato, seeded and diced
3 lbs firm boneless fish fillets (such as halibut, cod, red snapper, sea bass, grouper), cut into small cubes
8 oz medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and tails removed
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter. Add the onion, shallot and garlic. Saute for a minute or two and them add the carrot, celery and bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes.

Add the rutabaga and cauliflower. Stir into the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables until the rutabaga and cauliflower are tender.

Remove the cover and add the: salt, pepper, chili flakes, seafood seasoning, thyme, tomato and vinegar. Sir well.
Add the cream, fish cubes and shrimp. Cook stirring the mixture gently for 4-5 minutes or until the fish and shrimp are cooked. Add the parsley and remaining tablespoon butter, heating until the butter is incorporated. Serve in large individual  bowls.

My comments: this is a particularly delicious chowder. If you don’t have all the ingredients some are optional. Morrison’s supermarket sells a packet of frozen “fish pie mix” for about £4. Using this with extra prawns,  garlic, onion and cream also produces a lovely basic fish stew. Remember my son’s tip about using frozen pre chopped onions if you are short of time or don’t like your hands getting oniony. Jovina’s recipe is more sophisticated. 

Asian Stir-Fry Dinner
by Jovina Coughlin

Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry

Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce Mixture
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cooked (poached) chicken breasts, shredded
Half of a large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1 cup diagonally cut snow peas
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup (1-inch) slices green onion
Directions
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil; swirl.
Add bell peppers and broccoli and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the next 4 ingredients (through garlic); stir-fry 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken, stir-fry 1 minute.
Add the sauce mixture; cook 30 seconds or until thickened. Add the green onions. Cook until heated through. Serve with the Cauliflower Rice dish or regular rice if you are not low carbing.
Asian Flavored Cauliflower “Rice”

Serves 4
Ingredients
10 oz pkg frozen cauliflower rice, defrosted or use the same amount of regular leftover cooked rice (or grate your own)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Directions
Let the riced cauliflower drain in a colander for about 30 minute. Then place it on a paper towel.
In a wide-bottom skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower rice. Stir-fry until the grains are dry and begin to crisp.
Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce and ginger. Stir-fry for another minute or two. Serve with the chicken.

My comment: I’m pleased to see that frozen cauliflower rice is available in the USA. I’m not aware that we have it yet in the UK. You can pulverize raw cauliflower in a food processor to get a similar product. Then you can have a taste of the orient with this lovely meal.

For step by step directions with pictures see the link below:

 

http://zenbellycatering.com/2013/08/20/ny-style-paleo-pizza-crust-yes-really/?_ke=a2F0aGFyaW5lLm1vcnJpc29uQGJ0aW50ZXJuZXQuY29t

 

Simone is a chef living in San Francisco and she had numerous attempts to perfect pizza crust. She was keen to have the sort of base that would rise just like the flour based version. 

She has some tips:

use a pizza stone if you have one

warm the bowl for the yeast mixture and measuring cup for the water by running hot water into it

You need to use high temperatures for this recipe to get the best result

You need to have the top almost completely cooked before you put your toppings on.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of gluten free yeast

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/4 cup of warm water

3/4 cup ground almonds

3/4 cup tapioca starch

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil or other melted fat

1 tablespoon egg white (this is less than one egg)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

+ your favourite toppings eg mozzarella, cheddar, mushrooms, peppers, onion, rosemary, oregano etc

Directions:

In the warmed large mixing bowl combine the yeast, honey and warm water. Leave for 5 minutes to get frothy.

In another small bowl combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and egg white.

In another medium bowl combine the almond flour, tapioca starch and salt.

Once the yeast if foamy, add the wet and dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium/high for 30 seconds and scrape the bowl to mix it well.

Using a rubber spatula form the wet dough into as much of a ball as you can.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and put in a warm (but not hot) place. All it to sit for 75 -90 minutes. Check it at 75 minutes. It doesn’t rise like conventional dough but it should have risen somewhat. If not leave it a bit longer.

Turn your oven to 500 F 250 C or regulo 10 (for many of us as high as our domestic ovens will go).

If you have a pizza stone put it in the oven.

Lightly oil a sheet of parchment paper and turn the sticky dough onto it.

Oil your hands and flatten the dough into a 9 or 10 inch circle or so.

Carefully transfer the parchment with the raw pizza base onto the stone or sheet pan.

Bake in the lower third of your oven for 6-8 minutes till it starts to brown at the edges.

Add the desired toppings and cook for another 2-3 more minutes. Allow to cool for a minute before slicing.

Enjoy!

 

 

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken
• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 5 minutes prep. 6-8 hours on low
• Difficulty: easy

Ingredients:
• 3-4 lbs. split chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Optional: In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add chicken to pan and brown on both sides. Remove chicken to bowl of slow cooker. Add onions to pan and cook until softened. Add onions to bowl of slow cooker. This will add more flavor to the dish but if you wish you can add chicken and onions to bowl of slow cooker without cooking. (My comment: doing this really makes a difference to the appearance and flavour of this dish)
2. Sprinkle cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, Cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, garlic, and salt over the chicken. Pour the chicken stock over the chicken and cook on high 5-6 hours. After 3 hours add the apricots.
3. Once cooked through remove the chicken and shred if desired.

Robert Carrier was a very popular television chef in the 80s. He was famous for ladling on butter, cream and booze onto anything on a plate and in due course fell out of favour with the fat police in the later stages of the 80s and into the 90s. Fortunately one of my flatmates bought me Carrier’s Quick Cook for a Christmas present in 1983 and I’ve used it ever since. As you know, we are not afraid to chuck fat or booze on our food and the lower the carbs in your diet, the more we encourage you to do so.

A few weeks ago I was visiting my son in Leeds and off we went for an outing to Harewood House. This elegant house is in amazing grounds landscaped by Capability Brown. It is a thought that this man laid out many Victorian gardens but never lived to see them attain their full glory.

The grounds include a gem of a second hand bookshop and there I purchased Robert Carrier’s New Great Dishes of the World.  I already have his original Great Dishes of the World and was thrilled to have more boozy, creamy, meaty recipes at my fingertips.

I am now going to describe the late, great, Robert’s method to get perfect, rare roast beef with minimum effort.  He insists that you must have at LEAST 2.5 kg of boned and rolled meat.  I bought  a stunningly expensive rib eye joint of this weight and having never had a disappointment in 34 years of cooking from Carrier’s books entrusted it to his experience.

This is what you do.

Take the meat out of the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking time and hide it from your cats.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees centigrade or 500 Fahrenheit or gas 10 for at least 20 minutes ahead of time. The oven must be roasting hot.

Rub the joint with salt and pepper and spread it with dripping or butter. This could be about 4 tablespoons or so. Don’t skimp.

Put the meat on a rack in a roasting pan in the oven and cook for 5 minutes per 450g/lb and then switch OFF the oven BUT DON’T OPEN THE DOOR.

Leave it all on its own for two hours.

Touch the meat with your fingers. If it is warm take out and serve. If it is cool but the oven back on at 250 /500/10 for ten minutes or so to warm it before serving.

Enjoy!