The Breakfast Burrito

This is a simple one and our tasty alternative to the English cooked breakfast

I made it on New Years Eve morning to help us recover from the New Years Eve Eve drinking and to line our stomachs for the drinking ahead. It must have done the trick as we were out partying until 4am, quite impressive from a couple with a usual bed time of 10.15pm... 

The Mrs is half Mexican and although the breakfast burrito probably isn't very authentic, more tex mex, the guacemole is something she has an instinctive ability to be able to do, like birds flying or fish swimming... Therefore the ingredients are quite approximate and more of a guide as she makes it up as she goes along...
 

 

To make 2 burritos -

2 Large Flour Tortillas
215g can of Refried Beans
Mature Cheddar, grated

Handful of sliced Jalapenos

3 Large Eggs
Small Splash of Milk
Dried Chilli Flakes, to taste
Generous amount of Salt and Pepper

Large Nob of Butter 

 

• Preheat the oven to 200C
• Spread half of the refried beans across the middle of each tortilla, then split the cheese and sprinkle on top along with the jalapenos
• Place each tortilla on a large piece of tin foil, gather the foil and fold at the top to seal.
• Cook in the oven for approx 12 minutes until the cheese has melted and the beans are warmed through, the top edges of the tortilla should be nice and crispy
• While the tortillas are in the oven prepare your eggs. Add the eggs, milk, chilli flakes, salt and pepper to a mixing jug and use a fork to combine. Add the butter to a pan and heat on high, when the butter is bubbling add your eggs and leave for a few seconds until starting to set then stir. Repeat the process until the eggs have just started to firm up and no liquid consistency is left. Don't overcook!
• Take the tortillas out of the oven and add the eggs to the top. If you can roll into a burrito shape or serve them as they are, this isn't the prettiest dish but it is one of the tastiest

Serve topped with soured cream, extra chilli sauce if you like it even hotter, and a good amount of authentic guacemole (see below) 

Rachel's Guacamole

Ingredients - 

3 Ripe Avocados, 

1/2 Red Onion or two Spring Onions, finely chopped

8 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered

1/2 Lime, juice only

Tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped

Approx 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

• Cut avocados in half, remove seed and scoop out avocado from the peel into a mixing bowl.
• Use a fork to mash the avocado, then add the onion, lime, coriander and chilli. Give everything a good mix. Add the tomatoes, mix again and then season to taste with salt and pepper

Christmas Beer Can Chicken & Cranberry Apple Chutney

The Mrs and i spent Christmas over in Belfast this year but had our own mini Christmas when we got home.

Having had 2 roast dinners in 3 days the thought of another with all the trimmings wasn't all that appealing but i had been wanting to do another beer can chicken for a while, mainly for the comedy value of seeing a raw chicken sat almost human-like (bar the beer can up it's arse) on my kitchen counter!

I'd seen the original in a Jamie Oliver book and an ex American housemate (ex housemate, he's still American) used to rave about cooking chicken this way on the barbecue.

This time as it was Christmas i decided to change the spices for something a little more festive and accompany the succulent chicken with a cranberry and apple chutney and some cheese, to make some lovely Christmassy sandwiches... and lovely they were! 

Ingredients - 

 

1 Chicken (Approx 1.5kg)
1 Can of Lager (440ml) 

Flat Tbsp freshly ground Black Pepper
2 flat Tbsp Dried Rosemary
Flat Tbsp Dried Thyme

Heaped Tsp Dried Basil

Heaped Tsp Garlic Salt
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

And for the chutney - 

500g Cooking Apples, peeled and diced

250g Eating Apples, peeled and chopped into larger chunks

250g Onions, chopped

30g Fresh Root Ginger, finely diced

Flat Tsp Peppercorns

250g Granulated Sugar

130ml Cider Vinegar

250g Cranberries

For the Chicken - 

• Preheat your oven to 200C
• Put the black pepper, rosemary, thyme, basil and garlic salt into a pestle and mortar and grind until combined, add the olive oil and mix together to form a paste. Rub this over all the chicken both inside and out.
• Open the beer and drink about half then lower the chicken cavity over the top of the can, the chicken should stand quite freely like this. Place on a baking tray in the oven and cook for approx 75 mins, the juices should run clear, the skin should be golden and crispy and the meat will fall off the bone. If this isn't the case give it another 10-15 mins or until done.

 For the Chutney - 

• Throw everything apart from the cranberries into a large saucepan and cook on a medium heat, stirring regularly until the sugar is disolved, then simmer uncovered until the fruit is soft and the sauce has thickened, approx 45 mins.
• Add the cranberries and continue to simmer until they have softened and some have burst to give the chutney a reddish colour, approx 20 mins.
• Ingredients will make 1 litre of chutney, store in sterilised jars for a few months, or eat straight away!  

I bought some nice crusty bread and made generously filled sandwiches with the chicken, chutney and some cheese (brie would be nice)

Baked Ginger Cheesecake

Gingers get a hard time in most walks of life, recent survey results show that they are 10% less likely to succeed at a job interview and 6% less likely to win the lottery than their blonde or brunette peers.

In the spice world however things couldn't be more different. The popularity of ginger in Asian cooking is unparallelled and no one can argue that ginger spice had more teenage boys salivating in front of top of the pops than any of the other spices on offer!

So....

Every boy and every girl

Spice up your cheesecake

People of the world

Spice up your cheesecake

Ahhhhhhhhh......

Ingredients - 

15 Ginger Nut Biscuits

40g Melted Butter

600g Light Cream Cheese

Tbsp Plain Flour

2 Eggs

Tsp Vanilla Extract

100g Golden Caster Sugar

300ml Soured Cream

80g Crystallised Ginger, finely chopped

Icing Sugar, for dusting

 

• Preheat the oven to 180C or 160C for fan ovens
• Crush the biscuits into crumbs or blitz in the food processor, add the melted butter and stir in
• Press evenly into the bottom of a lightly buttered 20cm springform tin and bake in the oven for 5mins, remove and cool
• Beat the flour, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and half of the soured cream together until smooth. Add the crystallised ginger as evenly around the mix as you can and give it all a quick stir.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 35 minutes. Check to see if the cheesecake has set but still has a slight wobble in the centre. That's where you need it to be so if it's too soft return to the oven for a few more minutes.
• Add the rest of the soured cream to the top and spread around evenly before returning to the oven for 5 minutes
• Cool in the tin and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve (i'd run out...)

Smoked Sausage Casserole

Having now lived with my girlfriend for over 6 months we have, as i'm sure every couple does, each taken on certain household tasks. Rachel cleans the bathroom and washes the pots, i take the bins out, fix stuff (insert generic man noise) and do the cooking.

So going forward it is likely that the one day of the year that my little princess will cook me dinner will be on my birthday....
...and if they are all as delicious as the one produced for my recent birthday then i'll be a reasonably happy man!

The other half knows the way to my heart and with a savoury dish it's difficult to go far wrong with sausages. So on a cold November evening a smoked sausage, olive, spinach and mushroom casserole with buttery mashed potatoes really hit the bullseye.

If you're trying this the choice of sausage is very important, Rachel used the smoked pork sausages from the meat counter at our local Waitrose and the smokeyness adds a real depth of flavour to the dish that makes it a real winner. Remember for the mash a little butter does not go a long way...

Ingredients -

550g Smoked Pork Sausages
Tsp Sunflower Oil
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
2 Garlic Cloves, sliced
400g Can of Chopped Tomatoes
200ml Beef Stock
100g Pitted Black Olives in Brine
250g Pack of Mushrooms, sliced
Large Handful of Fresh Spinach  

For the Mash -

Floury Potatoes (approx 4 large)
Butter (approx 50g)
Splash of Cream (or Milk)
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
 

• Peel and cube the potatoes and cover in boiling water. Put the lid on the pan and cook for approx 20 mins until they're nice and soft.
• Cut the sausages into 1 and a half inch pieces and fry in a little oil in a large pan until browned.
• Add oregano and garlic and continue to fry
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes, stock, olives and mushrooms then simmer until the sauce is thickened, approx 15 mins.
• Add the spinach leavesto the pot, allow to wilt and stir through.
• Go back to the potatoes, drain well, add the butter, cream and a good amount of black pepper then mash until light and fluffy. Put the mashed potatoes back onto the hob on a low heat to warm through again and to dry them out slightly.

Serves 4 - a generous portion of the mashed potato with the casserole over the top.


Happy Birthday Me!

Lamb and Feta Mini Kebabs

Now i may not have always had the most refined palette, for quite some time i was definitely more of a 'bigger the better' kind of eater, a pub bucket deal would have me salivating at the window, but there is no doubting that there is something very satisfying about the basics of what was a major part of my diet - 

The Kebab! 

Well dressed salad and some generously seasoned, spicy meat all served in quality fresh naan/flat bread.

The difference now is that i'd rather rustle up the following recipe than nip out of my student digs half dressed in clothes i've worn to sleep in to my local kebab outlet, 'kebabish and kebobs' to name a couple, and order a large donner and chips...

However much people hate to admit it i'm certainly not alone in my love of the kebab. There are now plenty of respectable London establishments with rotisserie kebab grills installed, just take a look at Comptoir Libanais who proudly serve up shawarmas in their outlets including the recently opened South Kensington branch where Pippa Middleton has recently been spotted stuffing her chops with the staple middle eastern fare (*actual menu choice to be confirmed)

I'm lucky to have a Moroccan food stall close to my work in Kingston which provides me with quality flat breads and harissa which makes this a really quick and easy midweek meal. If you can source the same then go for it, there are some things that you just have to make yourself, these two aren't things that i'd include in that.

Ingredients -

500g minced lamb

100g feta, finely chopped

1 grated red onion

2 tbsp harissa

tbsp chopped parsley

To Serve -

Moroccan flat breads

Tzatziki

Harissa

Rocket and spinach salad

Cucumber

Tomatoes

 

Directions are as easy as finding the house across the street -

• Grab all the ingredients (not the list of items to serve) and throw them all in a big bowl, stick your hands in and give them a good mix!

• Next take a good handful and squeeze together before rolling into small kebabs, you should make approximately 8.

• Grill or griddle on a high heat until cooked through and browned, approx 8 mins.

• Serve in a warm flatbread on a rocket and spinach salad with cucumber and tomato and drizzled with plenty of tzatziki and a little sprinkle of extra harissa, especially if you like it spicy! 

• Eat rolled up in a convenient hand sized meal or pick at your plate, important thing is to leave the cutlery in the draw!

I Love Brownies (and their creator)

You know that moment when you look at someone and realise for the first time that you truly truly love them, always will and will spend the rest of your lives together?

I experienced that feeling the very first time i ate one of my girlfriends triple chocolate brownies.
I Love You, I Love You, you have made me the happiest person in the world!
I think this must be how it feels for a woman when the man they love proposes to them...

The fact the recipe is actually one of Anthony Worral Thompsons doesn't change how much i love Rachel but it does mean i feel some of that very same love for the little yorkshire terrier, and have no problem with that... He might though if i ever meet him, Rachel accuses me of 'Lennying her' on occasion and the celeberity chef will get some of the same treatment!

Here's the recipe - so if you're a girl and looking to tie a good man down or a guy and don't want to rely on a woman for anything then give it a try!
Most recently i served the brownies warm with ice cream and drizzled with a little blackberry coulis (red berries would also be lovely!)
 

Ingredients -
275g/10oz plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
275g/10oz unsalted butter
85g/3oz pecans, broken into pieces
85g/3oz milk chocolate, cut into large chunks
85g/3oz white chocolate, cut into large chunks
175g/6oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
325g/12oz caster sugar
 

For the Coulis -
250g Blackberries
50g Golden Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
 

  

 

• Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas3. Line a 30x20cm tin or dish with lightly buttered greaseproof paper.

• Put the plain chocolate and butter in a large bowl and melt ( microwave will do ). Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

• Stir the sugar into the melted chocolate then add the eggs and vanilla essence. Fold in the flour and baking powder, nuts and chocolate.

• Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

• The top should be firm but the inside should feel soft when cooked, it should have a little shake to it! Cool and then chop into small bite size or big fist size squares

For the coulis -

• Put the blackberries and sugar into a small pan with 100ml/31⁄2fl oz water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins until the fruit is soft. Stir in the vanilla, remove and cool a little.

• Tip the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, and whizz to a purée, then strain through a sieve, rubbing it through with the back of a ladle or spoon.

 
Serve the brownie warm with good quality vanilla ice cream drizzled with the coulis.

Kiss Cous Sexy Moroccan Meatballs

While visiting Marrakech a while back i bought, along with a rather unneccessary rug and silver tea pot (i'm a sucker for quality sales banter...), a large bag of '45 spice' which i have used in various dishes without really ever knowing what it is or what is in it.

I now realise it is ras el hanout; according to wikipedia 'a popular Moroccan blend of spices... The name means "top of the shop" in Arabic and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer'

Since i have turned Rachel around to the idea of lamb and couscous, the latter just by adding plenty of butter, this recipe seemed like a perfect way to use up some more of the huge bag of spice that has been taking up too much cupboard space for some time!
 

Ras el hanout is also believed to be an aphrodisiac, hence the title, as is deer penis... This might make for a more appetising romantic winter dinner though?

Ingredients -

500g minced lamb

Red Onion, grated (be prepared for tears!)

3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

2cm Piece Root Ginger, grated 

2 heaped tsp ras el hanout 

dried chilli flakes(to taste)

2 tsp ground cumin

tsp ground cinnamon

Olive Oil

2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes  

200ml chicken stock 

handful of coriander, chopped

For the cous cous -

200g Cous Cous

50g Butter

350ml chicken stock, piping hot
Handful of fresh coriander and parsley, chopped.

• Mix well, with your hands, the  lamb, onion, half the garlic, half the ginger and half the spices in a bowl. Roll small amounts into little meatballs.

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan and add the meatballs in batches, frying until browned all over. Scoop out, then add the rest of the garlic, ginger and spices and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and stock and season, break up the tomatoes while mixing in.

• Simmer for 10 minutes, then add back the meatballs and cook for another 20 minutes until sauce is thickened. Stir in the coriander.

For the couscous -

• Put the 200g in a bowl with the butter and some pepper. Pour over the chicken stock and cover tightly for 10 minutes.

• Mix in the herbs and serve with meatballs on top.

Chinese Ox Cheek Stew with Greens and Rice

The Mrs and I were both off work with the first cold of winter and feeling very sorry for ourselves. After a lunch time sinus cleansing Tom Yum Soup we decided to continue with the Asian theme and rustled up the following stew with some cheap ox cheeks from the freezer.

The result was a spicy chinese, melt in your mouth sense of relief. All the flu symptoms just evaporated away and we felt human again.

Could this combination of asian spices, tender meat and re-energizing greens be the cure for the common cold???

Well.... No, but like having ten pints of lager / 2 bottles of wine (adjust according to taste) it does allow for a little respite before having to deal with the blocked nose and achy joints all over again.

And if you aren't ill? Then this dish may just cheer up a bad day or make a good day memorable. 'remember that day we had chinese ox cheek stew' 'ahhhh, now that was a great day!'...

Ingredients -

700g (approx 2) Ox Cheeks, cut into large pieces

4 Garlic cloves, minced

2 birdseye chillis, chopped, seeds removed to taste

2 to 3cm piece of ginger, grated

3 to 4 sping onions, chopped

Plain flour

Heaped tsp of 5 spice

Star anise

tsp sugar

2 tbsp chinese rice wine

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

300ml beef stock

Olive oil.

For the Kale - 

200g bag of Kale, veg oil, garlic clove, tbsp dark soy sauce and tbsp oyster sauce.

To Serve -

Plain rice and pak choi, boiled.

• Preheat oven to 130 degrees celsius, place a medium casserole dish inside to warm.
• Dust the ox cheek pieces in a little flour and fry in a tbsp or so of oil until browned on all sides, remove.
• Fry the ginger, garlic, onion and chilli in a tbsp of oil until fragrant, add the 5 spice and star anise and fry for another minute. 
• Add the sugar and browned beef and give everything a good stir, pour everything into the casserole dish.
• Deglaze the pan with the rice wine and add this to the casserole dish too.
• Pour in the Soy and Stock and give it another stir, put the lid on and whack it in the oven for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is really tender.

For the Kale -

• Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and then the kale and mix together for a couple of mins.
• Add 100ml of boiling water and cook for a few mins.
• Add the soy and oyster sauces and cook until combined and the kale has wilted.

Serve the chinese stew over boiled rice with the kale on the side (you won't need any of the sauce from the wok) and some pak choi.