2(5 a day) Ta Life

So Rick Ta Life called me up asking for a recipe so here it is:

1 large Butternut Squash
A full (Skar)head of Broccoli
Butter
Flour
Milk
Blue Cheese
Wholegrain Mustard
Smoked Paprika
Oil
Seasoning

Pre-heat the oven, peel and de-seed the squash, messy, very sticky, cut into cubes, put on roasting 

tray with oil and seasoning, bake for 30 mins ish, micro/steam a full head of broccoli, meanwhile 

in a pan, make a classic roux, melted butter and flour, add milk gradually, when at good 

consistency crumble in a whole block of blue put the roasted squash and broccoli in an ovenproof 

dish and slather with the sauce (a spoonful of wholegrain mustard or a little paprika is lush in the 

sauce) stir and bake until sumptuous and golden. 

Serve with a good ale and crusty bread

Loyal ta the grave!

BTF - Beetroot Fury

You will need:

Baby beetroots
Swiss bullion powder
Arborio risotto rice (125g p/p)
Shallots
Blue cheese
Raw cashews
Baby Spinach
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic
Peas
Wine
Salt & pepper
Tarragon

Heat the oil in a large pan, add diced shallots, saute, add a knob of butter, melt, add the rice stir to coat, pour in a glass of wine red or white, reduce, add the tarragon to taste, make up a pint of stock in a jug (three to four heaped teaspoons of bullion), add a ladle of stock at a time, over a medium heat until absorbed, continue, until two ladles left, before the last but one add the peas, before the last ladle full add the blue cheese cubed, cover, reduce heat allow the cheese to melt into a glossy sauce. Line the bowls with baby spinach, give the risotto a good last stir, serve with crushed raw cashews and drizzle with good Extra virgin olive oil.

Listen to Trial and treat yourself to a nice glass of Malbec.

Cowboy pies from Hell!

I made a bangin' veggie chili the other night red pepper and mushroom. I thought it would be an awesome idea and a vulgar display of pie-wer to use chili as a pie filling, top it with sweet potato mash and cheese and bake it in the oven so that's what I did and it was insane!

For the chili:
mushrooms sliced, quorn mince, red pepper, chopped tomatoes, brown sugar, baked beans, BBQ sauce, smoked paprika, chili powder, olive oil, s&p.

Mash:
Large Sweet potato peeled and chunked, a knob of butter, s&p. Cheese grated to top.

Preheat the oven to 170, heat some oil in a wok with a little s&p. add the mushrooms, saute until cooked add the veg mince for about five mins, then the pepper, stir constantly, stir through the toms, a good sprinkle of brown sugar, BBQ sauce and spices to taste, simmer for 10 mins add the baked beans near the end for 5/10 mins.

Meanwhile boil the sweet potato in a large pan of salted water for about 15 mins. mash with a good knob of butter and loads of black pepper.

When the chili is cooked ladle into ramekins and top with mash and grated cheddar, bake in the middle of the oven for 20/25mins.

Serve with warm pittas and mayo for dunking.

“Can you do the Pizza Maker?”

Remember old school HC pit classic The Pizza Maker, well this is like that, but “The Tart Maker…”

No one should have time to make pastry after a day in work for dinner for one, so buy ready rolled yeah.

You will need:

Ready rolled puff pastry sheet

One block Halloumi

Tomato puree

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt & cracked Black Pepper

Wedges:

Sweet potato

Olive oil

Salt, pepper & Smoked Paprika

Sweet Chilli and mayo mixed for dipping

Rinse your sweet pot, slice into thick wedges, don’t peel never peel the skins are the best bit! Pre heat the oven to 200, place the wedges in a tray drizzle with oil and loads of S&P and a healthy sprinkle of smoked paprika, give the tray a really good shake to coat the wedges. Bake at the top of the oven.

Roll out your pastry sheet; mix together in a ramekin tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, lots of s&p, and a little water to thin out.

Spread thinly onto pastry sheet, top with healthy chunks of halloumi, I use the whole block and have it over two days, but you will prob want to share with loved ones whereas I do not.

Place on a baking tray, bake in the middle of the oven, here is the only tricky bit, halloumi exudes quite a lot of liquid whilst cooking so after about ten mins remove from the oven and carefully pour off the excess liquid or you will get the dreaded “Soggy Bottom” and will end up “a man of constant Sorrow”.

Return to the oven, shake your wedges, put the tart back in for another 10-15 until golden brown, may require 5 mins off the tray for the bottom to brown, but do this once the top is cooked so it holds together on the grease-proof.

Once it’s all cooked, serve with the sweet chilli mayo for dipping and a nice fruity beer.

I would recommend listening to Young Conservatives and considering your voting options ready for tomorrow.

Enjoy

Stubbs

Halloumi be thine name...

Sweet Potato & Halloumi Fritters

You will need:
Two Sweeet potatoes
A block of hallomi
A cup of flour
Salt & Black Pepper
Olive Oil
2 Eggs

To dress:
Yogurt
Mint (I use mint sauce)
Lemon










Stir the mint through the yogurt with a little lemon zest and juice, return to the fridge until serving.

Preheat the oven to 180 pop in a tray lined with grease proof paper.
Sift the flour in a mixing bowl.
Grate the sweet potatoes and halloumi into the bowl the finer the better.
Season, mix well to combine. Heat a little oil in a frying pan with a little seasoning.

Crack two eggs into a bowl and beat until foamy, add to the mixing bowl and give it a good stir
It should now have a batter like consistency
Spoon the batter into the oil carefully, in batches of 4/5, fry for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to your preheated baking tray in the oven to keep warm between batches.

Once you have used all the batter, serve immediately with lashings of the cool minty dip and some veggies for dunking too. Great for parties bro!

Listen to Paint it Black

Spinach kicks for Jesus

Spinach & Potato Gratin

Great as a side dish to a roast, or as a veggie main with some pickled beets

Fry one diced onion and a diced garlic clove in a little olive oil, add a full bag of Spinach and wilt.

Preheat the oven to 220, slice some baby new potatoes very thinly, drizzle with oil and season, layer the bottom of a pie dish with the potato slices. Once the spinach has wilted down cover the pots with a layer of the spinach, then a good grating of cheese, press down flat, another layer of pots, another layer of spinach and cheese and then a final layer of pots.

Wrap the top tightly with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 mins, remove from the oven take off the foil pierce the pots with a sharp knife they should be tender, if they are drizzle with about four table spoons of double cream, more cheese and black pepper and return to the oven at 200 for 20 mins until bubbling golden and delicious.

Serve immediately with a nice glass of red, I'm enjoying Malbec at the moment.

Listen to Frank Sinatra.
Stubbs
x

Mad Balls

There are some dishes that you just think I wish there was a good veggie version... I'm not sure I ever ate meat balls when I ate meat even, but years of watching sopranos meant I needed to have a go at creating a good veggie alternative.

So here is me "Demonstrating my style" of making no meat mad balls 

The best I have found is using a packet veggie sausage mix rolled into balls baked in the oven in a little oil. (I use asda own veggie Lincolnshire sausage mix)

Then pour over a ragu, I use chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic, a drizzle of balsamic, a drop more good olive oil, plenty of salt & black pepper and a pinch of brown sugar.

Give it a good stir to coat your balls and return to the oven for 20 mins. Carefully remove cover with a good healthy grating of cheddar and pop back in until bubbling and melted. 

Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti and garlic bread.