RECIPES - STARTER / MAIN / DESSERT

[memb]

Glad you're enjoying them G.G.     Really depends on the size of the duck breasts, but as they are skinned, so none of the tough skin is there to be cooked I would say I cook mine for about 15 minutes, keep turning them whilst cooking.  Enjoy![:D]

[Geordie girl]

Thank you, will let you know how it goes

[memb]

 SALMON STEAKS WITH RED SALSA - easy

4 salmon steaks   -   2 medium red peppers   -   2 tomatoes (deseeded and chopped small)   -   1 tablespoon chopped basil   -   1/2 red onion (finely chopped)   -   juice of 1/2 lemon   -   1 tablespoon olive oil

1.   Wash and  roast the peppers in a roasting tin in a preheated 180deg oven for about half hour (they must be soft!).   Place the peppers in a plastic food bag and leave to cool.    Leave the oven on.

2.    Cut the peppers in half, deseed, cut out the white membrane and skin.   Slice it into strips.

3.    Put the salmon steaks into foil parcels with a little of the lemon juice, cook in the oven (same heat) for half hour.   The final 10 minutes of the salmon cooking add the peppers and all the remaining ingredients to a small saucepan and heat through.   Serve right next to the salmon steaks.

[mint]

That sounds yummy, 47.  We tend to eat too much salmon (as OH doesn't eat meat) and get bored with it after a while.  But will do this next week.  Have visitors, one of whom also doesn't eat meat.  Thank you muchly.

[Missy]

Soup as a starter or main course. (Today it's my lunch box offering for the office)

6 parsnips peeled and chopped

1 small pack of potato gnocchi

1 noisette de beurre et une larme d'huile d'olive

2 or 3 fresh finely chopped chillies (depending on how hhhhotttt you like it..)

ground kaffir lime leaves

ground galangal or ginger

salt and pepper

In a pan warm the oil and butter until just sort of noisette colour, put parsnips in, lid on pan and shake a little from time to time. Parsnips should be just golden by now. Lid off, put in the chillies, galangal (or ginger), kaffir lime leaves, salt and pepper. Stir well. Pour one pint of water, lid on pan and return to boil/simmer for 15 minutes. Whiz up with a stick blender. It will have the consistency of thick runny mash so add a little bit of water but not too much. Put the potato gnocchi in to warm through. Eat with a peshwari naan (my favourite!) or crusty bread.

If you need to transport the soup in one of these microwavable dishes, don't add extra liquid to it until you are ready to warm it up and eat....  Enjoy!.

That kind of quantity should make enough for 3 to 4 persons.

[Geordie girl]

Hi have any of you got a christmas mincemeat recipe please.I need to make it now apparently so it'll be ready for christmas.

 

Thankyou i'm sure you'll come up trumps for me [:D]

[mint]

But, Geordie, have you seen the cost of dried fruit in the supermarkets?

[Jinty]

1	lb cooking apples, peeled cored and finely chopped
8	ounces shredded suet
12	ounces raisins
8	ounces sultanas
8	ounces currants
8	ounces mixed peel, finely chopped
12	ounces soft dark brown sugar
2	oranges, juice and zest of
2	lemons, juice and zest of
2	ounces almonds, cut into slivers
4	teaspoons mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1	teaspoon grated nutmeg
6	tablespoons brandy

1. Mix all the ingredients, except the brandy, in a large ovenproof glass or ceramic bowl.

2. Cover with a cloth and leave for 12 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.

4. Place the bowl in the oven and leave it there for 3 hours.

5. Remove and let the mincemeat cool.

6. Now stir in the brandy and spoon into clean jars.

7. Cover with waxed discs, seal and label.

Never tried it but it sounds good   [:P]

 

[Geordie girl]

Sweet 17 it wasn't that bad. Made it today after soaking overnight, and got 5 jam jars full.  Can't eat it for at least 2 weeks so i hope its ok. Got quite a few friends coming round boxing night so i thought i'd make mince pies.So here's the recipe

450g apples unpeeled and chopped small

225g shredded suet

350g raisins

225g sultanas

225g currants

225g chopped candied peel

350g soft brown sugar

grated zest and juice of 2 oranges & 2 lemons

50g chopped almonds

4 tsp ground mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

6 tbsp brandy

Mix everything except the brandy together in a bowl and leave overnight in the fridge

Next day add the brandy

Cook in the oven at gas 1/4 or elec 120c or 225f for 3 hours

Allow to cool and put in your jars[:D]

 

[Geordie girl]

Jinty thats the recipe i've just done. Great minds think alike

[mint]

Ok, I'm persuaded.  I adore mince pies.  But, can you get vegetarian suet here in France?  OH does not eat meat.  Mind you, I'm prepared to do it anyway and, if he won't eat any, there'll be more for me, won't there?

[Geordie girl]

Not sure about veg suet S17. Must admit i brought my atora suet from uk last week.

[sueyh]

Another of my mum's lovely recipes.  Tried it on friends last night - great.

 

Chicken Marengo

(Serves 2)

 

Ingredients

 

1oz seasoned flour

2 chicken joints or breast fillets

2oz butter (or oil) for frying

1 small onion finely chopped

1 rasher streaky bacon chopped (or lardons)

4 oz mushrooms sliced

1 tblsp tomato paste

½ pint rich chicken stock

½ teaspoon sugar

Bouquet Garni

Seasoning

2 tblsp sherry

 

Method

 

1.      Skin the chicken, dip in seasoned flour and fry in butter or oil until browned.  Place in a casserole.

2.      Fry bacon and onion in same pan until just beginning to colour.  Add remaining flour and gook until golden brown, stirring to keep smooth.

3.      Add mushrooms and seasoning.

4.      Blend tomato paste and sugar with stock.  Add sherry.  Mix with ingredients in pan and stir until smooth, thickened and simmering.

5.      Pour over chicken pieces.

6.      Add bouquet garni and cook for 40-50 mins in moderate oven gas mark 3-4 or about 170 degrees celsius.

7.      Remove loose herbs and serve.

 

Serve this with rice or crispy roast potatoes, sweetcorn and peas.

 

[oooLaLa]

Mains:

Duck breasts... 15 minutes... if you like 'um tough maybe..

Trim as much fat off as you can. then score what's left in a diamond pattern. Heat the oven to 180/GM4 use a heavy pan that'll go in the oven. - heat the pan for a goiod five minutes.

Season breasts, put in skin side down - they will smoke like buggery. once coloured, flip over and colour the meat side for 30-45 seconds. turn back on to skin side and stick in the oven for 7 minutes for med-rare, 8 for medium - anything above that - you're in the wrong country!

take out and put on a warm plate and rest for at least 5 minutes - THIS IS IMPORTANT. then slice before plating up

OK - fab sauce - not very french - but the french i served it to loved it!

Mango, ginger & passion fruit sauce

put into a pan:

1 mango - skinned and chopped

large glass of white wine

3 balls of stem ginger in syrup - chopped up - plus the syrup that covered them. (get some one coming out from the UK to empty the shelves of their local Tesco)

simmer until the mango is soft

blend

add 3 passion fruit (obviously not whole)

blend again

put through a sieve back into a pan (it can be frozen at this point in an ice cube tray and whipped out when ever you have friends round)

warm through

season with black pepper - no real need for salt.

Put the sauce on the plate, put the duck on top

serve with garlic green beans

lovely carrots and spuds - i par boil new spuds for 5 mins, slice in half, brush cut-side with oil, season and stick in the oven for 25 minutes

Oo La La! [kiss]

[oooLaLa]

Sides:

Got this recipe from a South African estate agent when looking at placves around Tarbes..

Tarbes beans - ok - you can't all get these - so local white beans or just drain a couple of cans worth. If from fresh - cook the beans first then:

heat oven to 180c/GM4

get an earthenware dish

chuck in the cooked white beans

add 4 cloves of shopped garlic

add 3-4 twigs of fresh rosemary - chopped up fine

add 3-4 tbls olive oil

season

stir

stick in oven for 30 minutes, turning every 10

These are lovely with Delias Piedamont Peppers (left to cool, skins taken off and chopped up)

If you don;t have Delia handy: Serves 4

3 red peppers, halved through the stalks, seeds taken out

to each "boat" add: 1/2 chopped anchovey, 1/4 skinned & de-seeded tomatoe, 3-4 thin slices of garlic, 1 dessert sp olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the skins look black. Let them cool, then skin them over a bowl, add some fresh basil and chop up. These are lovely with the beans, great with a steak or.. with the mains I'm about to post..

Oo La La![kiss]

[oooLaLa]

Mains:

Roast Monkfish - with dried ham

bit chef-y this one.. but well worth it.

 get some cling film

Get a whole monkfish, get rid of the membrane, then take off the two fillets. turn them top to tail so that you have a cylinder of fish - cut into 5inch lengths (the cylinder, so probably 2 or 3 depending on size of fish)

get some cling film and lay it out on a board (GG - about 14 inches worth)

in the middle of the cling film, lay two pieces of parma ham (or local french stuff) next to each other, and sprinkle over 1/4 tsp of chinese five spice. now put the fish in the middel and wrap the ham around the fish. Wrap the cling film around it all and then start to roll the whole thing on the board, using the ends of the cling flim. Think a xmas cracker. you should have a sausage like thing now. Roll it really tight with the clingfilm, then stick in the fridge for 8 hours - this will set the shape when you come to cook it.

When ready toi cook, Oven to 180c/GM4, need heavy pan that will go in the oven

get pan hot, add a spash of oil, then add the monkfish sausage (having taken off the cling film)

colour all over, then put in the oven for 7 minutes. take out and let rest for another 7 minutes. slice in half on the diagonal, plong on top of the garlic/rosemary beans with the red-pepper compote around the outside. have bread ready to mop up. This looks great and tastes fantastic..

Oo La La! [kiss]

[oooLaLa]

Mains:

Roast Monkfish - with dried ham

bit chef-y this one.. but well worth it.

 get some cling film

Get a whole monkfish, get rid of the membrane, then take off the two fillets. turn them top to tail so that you have a cylinder of fish - cut into 5inch lengths (the cylinder, so probably 2 or 3 depending on size of fish)

get some cling film and lay it out on a board (GG - about 14 inches worth)

in the middle of the cling film, lay two pieces of parma ham (or local french stuff) next to each other, and sprinkle over 1/4 tsp of chinese five spice. now put the fish in the middel and wrap the ham around the fish. Wrap the cling film around it all and then start to roll the whole thing on the board, using the ends of the cling flim. Think a xmas cracker. you should have a sausage like thing now. Roll it really tight with the clingfilm, then stick in the fridge for 8 hours - this will set the shape when you come to cook it.

When ready toi cook, Oven to 180c/GM4, need heavy pan that will go in the oven

get pan hot, add a spash of oil, then add the monkfish sausage (having taken off the cling film)

colour all over, then put in the oven for 7 minutes. take out and let rest for another 7 minutes. slice in half on the diagonal, plong on top of the garlic/rosemary beans with the red-pepper compote around the outside. have bread ready to mop up. This looks great and tastes fantastic..

Oo La La! [kiss]

[memb]

STARTER - EASY

CARROT/APPLE/CASHEW NUT SOUP

1lb carrots  -   1 large onion   -   1 small potato   -   1 large apple   -   2ozs butter   -   2pints veg.stock   -   2ozs broken cashew nuts   -   salt & pepper

1.  Roughly chop the vegetables and the apple.  

2.  Melt the butter in a saucepan and coat the veg and apple, then saute for 5 minutes or so.

3.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring it to the boil, cover and then simmer it for 30 minutes (until veg is tender).  Blitz it in blender to smooth down.

[Geordie girl]

Mmmm nice on a cold winter afternoon , with crusty bread, in front of the fire

[memb]

[quote user="Geordie girl"]Mmmm nice on a cold winter afternoon , with crusty bread, in front of the fire[/quote]

Precisely GG !   More soup recipes to follow shortly.

[memb]

STARTER - EASY

CHEATS FISH SOUP QUICKEST EVER

1 jar fish soup (in glass jars in Intermarche or Leclerc...the more expensive the better it is)   -   1 vegetable stock cube   -   1 tin tuna   -   enough king prawns to serve 6 in the middle of the bowl for each person.

1.  Crumble stock cube and add it to the fish soup in a saucepan.

2.  Cut the tuna into smallish chunks then add it to the soup, heat through thoroughly (try not to break up the chunks of tuna) and serve with the king prawns on the top (you can heat them for seconds in a microwave prior to dropping them into the soup).

Serve with crusty bread.

[Rob Roy]

Re. the pumpkin soups, this is another I got from another website and have done several times and  it proved successful. As I don't like spicy food I left out the chillies and didn't have any limes either ( ! ), and it was still very good, so you have the choice. I have also used it with various squashes rather than just pumpkin

: Pumpkin and smoked haddock soup 500g pumpkin flesh 1 onion chopped 1 bouquet garni 2 tablespoons olive oil 300g smoked haddock fillet 250ml milk juice of 1 1/2 limes zest of 1 lime salt and pepper Pumpkin, onion, bouquet garni and oil in large pan, sweated over low heat, covered for 10 mins. Haddock in shallow dish, cover with boiling water and leave for 5 mins. Then drain water into measuring jug. Water level needs to be 450ml so add more water if required. Flake the haddock into the pan together with water and seasoning. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for around 8 mins. Remove from heat and liquidise. (You may have to do this in batches depending on liquidiser size) Return to pan, add milk and reheat without boiling. Add the lime juice. Check seasoning and then serve sprinkled with lime zest. You could also add chopped chillies to this.

 

 

[mint]

47, Rob Roy

Thanks.  Yum................ Fab recipes!

[memb]

STARTER - EASY

BROCCOLI & STILTON SOUP

12ozs broccoli   -   2 ozs butter   -   1 chopped onion   -   1 chopped leek (white part only)   -   1 small potato, cut in chunks   -   1pint hot chicken stock   -   1/2 pint milk   -   3 tablespoons cream   -   4 ozs stilton cheese (rind removed) and crumbled   -   salt & pepper

1.  Break broccoli into florets, discard tough stems (set aside 2 small well shaped florets for garnish)

2.  Melt butter in a large saucepan and cook onion and leek until soft, add the broccoli and potato, then pour in the stock and cover, now simmer for 15-20 mins (until tender).

3.  Cool slightly and strain through a sieve back into the pan.

4.  Add milk, cream and seasoning to pan and reheat.  At the last minute add the cheese stirring to blend but DON'T boil !

5.  Blanch the reserved florets and cut into thin slices, place on served soup with a dash of black pepper.

[Geordie girl]

I thought i`d just test my mincemea that i made myself with delias recipe.Its a pity my OH and the plumber ate half of them before i could take the photo.

I`m chuffed to bits cos i`ve never made them before [:D[IMG]http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff146/Geordiegirl14/021.jpg[/IMG]][:D][:D]