Seafood Spaghetti

I picked up a pack of cooked seafood from the reduced section in the supermarket today so this is what I came up with for it.

Ingredients (serves 1)
100g cooked seafood
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp single cream
85g spaghetti

* put the spaghetti on to cook
* meanwhile heat 1/2 tsp sunflower oil in a small pan and fry the onion and garlic until softened
* add the seafood and heat through
* stir in the cream and season with salt sand pepper
* Drain the pasta and pour over the sauce

Nutritional info:
Calories: 452, Carbs: 70g, Fat: 7g, Protein: 23g

Sausages and Lentils

I came across this recipe in this month's Tesco magazine. It's quick, easy and satisfying.

Ingredients (serves 2)
4 sausages, any type but I used Cumberland
1 tin green lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, sliced
Herbs etc of choice - paprika, thyme, oregano, black pepper
1/2 tsp vegetable oil

* heat the oil in a pan, add the sausages and cook for around 10 minutes, turning regularly so they brown on all sides
* add the onion and pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes to soften
* tip in the lentils and tomatoes, add your choice of herbs and seasoning and cook for around 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens

Nutritional info:
Calories: 449, Carbs: 33g, Fat: 24g, Protein: 25g

Pork Chilli

I made my chilli with pork purely because, at Tesco anyway, you get so much more for your money compared to beef mince. It would work equally well with any meat though, or make a veggie version by using quorn or soya mince.
This is a great meal for bulk cooking and freezing.

Ingredients (serves 6)
850g pack pork mince
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
Big squirt tomato ketchup
1 tsp very lazy red chilli

* in a large pan, dry fry the mince. Drain off the fat and add the onion and garlic
* add the tomatoes and kidney beans
* Add all the herbs and chilli plus the ketchup. Season well with salt and pepper
* stir well and simmer for 45 minutes
* serve with rice or on a baked potato

Veggie Tagine

I'm sure this isn't remotely authentic, but it's easier to say tagine than 'vaguely Moroccan stew type thing'!

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin chickpeas
1/2 tin apricot halves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp lazy chilli
Salt and pepper to taste

* heat a little oil in a large pan and saute the onion, garlic and carrot for a couple of minutes
* add the tomatoes and spices and season to taste
* simmer for 25 minutes, then add the chickpeas and apricots and cook for another 10 minutes
* serve with couscous

Toad in the Hole

First recipe of 2014!

Ingredients (serves 4)
12 thin sausages
100g plain flour
1 egg
300 ml semi-skimmed milk
Pinch salt
1 sage leaf, finely chopped

* heat oven to 210C
* sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg. Add half the milk and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the milk and beat well. Add the sage.
* Arrange the sausages in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes
* pour over the batter and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and risen.

Mushroom and chicken stroganoff

I had intended to make a mushroom stroganoff, but I had a load of cooked chicken left from Sunday roast so I threw that in too.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Small onion
150g mushrooms
165g cooked chicken
120ml half fat sour cream
300ml vegetable stock
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
Salt/pepper

* chop the onion and mushroom and fry in a little oil for a couple of minutes
* add the sour cream and stock, paprika and garlic, and season well
* add the cooked chicken
* simmer for 20 minutes then serve with rice

Tarting up the basics 2

Another cheap and cheerful dinner option

Ingredients
1 tin meatballs in tomato sauce
2 mushrooms
1/2 onion
Clove of garlic, crushed
Tomato ketchup
Dried Herbs, eg basil, thyme

* heat a little oil and fry the chopped mushroom and onion for a minute or so
* add the garlic then the tin of meatballs
* Add a good squirt of ketchup and whatever herbs you fancy
* heat through for a few minutes then serve

Beef casserole

Ingredients
250g diced beef
1 onion
1 parsnip
2 carrot
Sweetcorn
Mushrooms
Handful of pearl barley
Beef stock cube
1tbsp plain flour
Thyme

* heat oven to 180C
* heat a little oil in a pan and fry the meat until browned
* stir in the flour, then add half a pint of water and the stock cube
* peel and chop the veg and put into a casserole dish with the pearl barley
* Add the meat and stock. Season and stir well
* cover, and cook in the oven for 90 minutes

Bolognese

Ingredients (serves 4)
400g mince (beef/lamb/pork/quorn depending on your preference)
1 tin tomatoes
1 onion
1 clove garlic
Mushrooms
Basil/oregano/thyme as much as you like
Worcester sauce 1/4 tsp
Big squirt of ketchup
Stock cube to complement mince

* heat a large pan and dry fry the mince, pouring off any fat.
* Add chopped onion, garlic and mushroom and cook for a minute or so
* Add the tomatoes, herbs and other seasonings
* Cook on a low heat for at least half an hour
* serve with pasta

Versatile tomato sauce

This was one of the first things I ever cooked, and at uni it probably formed a quarter of my diet largely due to the simplicity of cooking and the low cost of ingredients.

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Couple of mushrooms, sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Paprika, basil, thyme, oregano - as much as you like
Ketchup
Salt and pepper

* heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic and mushroom for a minute or so.
* Add the tomatoes and a good squirt of ketchup or tomato puree
* Add herbs and seasoning.
* simmer for around 20 minutes

This is a really versatile recipe and forms the basis of a lot of my meals including lasagna, chilli, spag bol etc. It's great just as it is with pasta or can easily be made meaty by adding a tin of tuna or some bacon.

Teriyaki salmon

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 salmon fillets
3 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed

* mix the soy sauce, mirin, ginger garlic and honey in a flat dish
* add the salmon fillets and leave to marinade for at least half an hour
* heat and lightly oil a griddle pan, then griddle the salmon until cooked through
* while the salmon cooks, heat the left over marinade in a small pan until reduced and thickened and pour over the salmon to serve. 

I served the salmon with egg noodles, which I stir fried with some thinly sliced carrot, courgette, onion and some cashew nuts and seasoned with soy sauce and chilli. Also good are bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, broccoli or water chestnuts. 

Tarting up the basics

I'm a big fan of supermarket value ranges. Being on a fairly tight budget, they are an absolute life saver and 'basic' doesn't have to mean boring.

A fave easy dinner involves livening up a tin of value chicken in white sauce.

Ingredients (serves 2 or 3)
1 can value chicken in white sauce
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
5 mushrooms
1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Slosh of white wine (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oil

* heat a little oil in a pan, and lightly fry the chopped onion and garlic for a couple of minutes
* Add the mushrooms, then slosh in some white wine, if using.
* Add the tin of chicken and heat through
* Add the mustard and season to taste.

We had it on tagliatelle. Really quick and easy, and much nicer than just heating up the tin on its own.

Creamy tomato pasta bake

Had some veggies in the fridge that needed using up, so this was an obvious dinner choice.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 courgette
1 yellow pepper
8 mushrooms
150g penne pasta
Tin chopped tomatoes
Herbs - thyme, oregano, basil, black pepper
1 tbsp ketchup
Slosh of worcester sauce
50ml natural yogurt
Olive oil
Cheddar cheese

* heat oven to 200C
* cut the veggies into chunks, drizzle with oil in a roasting tin, and bake for 20 - 30 minutes
* Cook the pasta according to pack instructions
* tip the tomatoes into a pan, add ketchup, Worcester sauce and herbs to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes then stir in the yogurt
* mix the drained pasta, tomato sauce and veg in an ovenproof dish and top with as much cheese as you fancy
* bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then serve

If I had a bottle of red wine open, I would add a splash to the tomato sauce. Works well with tuna or bacon added.

Jambalaya

Probably not remotely authentic, but it tastes good to me.

Ingredients (serves 2)
150g long grain rice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
4 sausages, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Splosh of white wine
1tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp lazy red chilli
1 tsp olive oil

* heat oil in a pan and add the vegetables. Cook for a minute or so
* Add the chunks of sausage and cook for another minute, then add the rice and herbs/spices
* Add a good splosh of wine, then the tinned tomatoes. Add some water if it looks too thick
* cover, and cook until most of the liquid had been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Also works well with chicken or prawns.

Turkey in creamy chive sauce

This is a recipe I got from Jillian Michaels' website, and adapted slightly.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Turkey (or chicken) Escalopes
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain flour
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
14 ounces chicken stock
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
Bunch of chives, chopped

• Season both sides of the turkey with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and coat the turkey in it. Discard the excess flour.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.
• Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, stock and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Return the turkey and any juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.

 I served it with some broad beans and spring greens which I steamed and then sauteed for a couple of minutes with a clove of garlic.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

A quick dinner idea.

Ingredients (serves 2)
150g tagliatelle
1 pack smoked Salmon trimmings
1/2 pack soft cheese with garlic and herbs
Splash of milk

* Cook pasta according to instructions
* Meanwhile, heat soft cheese in a small pan, adding as much milk as necessary to achieve a sauce-like consistency
* Add the salmon trimmings to the sauce and heat through
* Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce

Corned Beef Hash

Not the prettiest or healthiest meal ever, but very satisfying.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 tin corned beef, cut into cubes
200g new potatoes, cut into cubes, unpeeled
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt/pepper
Oil and butter for frying

* parboil the potatoes for about 5 minutes
* fry the onion and garlic in a little oil for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened
* put the corned beef in a bowl with the mustard, worcestershire sauce and onion/garlic. Season to taste and mix well, then tip into an ovenproof dish
* heat a knob of butter with a little oil in a pan, then fry the potatoes until golden and arrange on top of the corned beef mixture
* place under a preheated grill for 5-8 minutes, then serve

My daughter likes hers topped with a poached egg.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Use a really ripe, squishy avocado for a creamy sauce.

Ingredients (serves 2)
10 or 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
150g tagliatelle or spaghetti
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
Handful of pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan to serve

* Preheat oven to 150C
* Put the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and bake for 30 minutes
* Just before the tomatoes are done, begin cooking the pasta as per packet instructions
* While the pasta cooks, put 1 tbsp olive oil, avocado flesh, chopped garlic, salt and lemon juice in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and well combined. Alternatively whizz it up in a food processor.
* Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce.
* Top with the roasted tomatoes, pine nuts and parmesan.

For a meaty addition, a couple of slices of smoked grilled bacon cut into strips works very well.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients (serves 2)

100g Long Grain Rice

Handful frozen peas

2 Spring Onions, chopped

1 egg

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp olive oil

• Cook the rice in advance (earlier in the day, or even the night before), drain, rinse under cold running water and leave to cool.
• Heat the oil in a wok and lightly fry the spring onions for a minute or so
• Add the rice and peas and cook for a few minutes until heated through.
• Beat the egg with the soy sauce and pepper, then pour over the rice and stir continually until the egg is thoroughly mixed into the rice and cooked.

No Bake Lasagne

This recipe is from Martha Stewart, so for the full instructions click HERE.

I mostly made this because I'd just been given a pasta machine for my birthday and thought lasagne would be a good place to start, before we ventured into the realms of tagliatelle. It actually worked really well, although the portions ended up being HUGE because we'd made rather a lot of pasta and I didn't want to waste it.

Will definitely make this one again.