Trade Recipes

Ingredients

• about 2kg of pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 tbs ground cumin
• about 3 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

Directions

1. Place the onions in a big pot and cook with a bit of oil or butter for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cumin and cook until the onions are almost soft.
2. Add the pumpkin and then cover with stock. Cook over a medium heat until the pumpkin is tender.
3. Process with a blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add more stock, or if it is too thin then cook for a few more minutes until it is the consistency you want.

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This is a male friendly recipe which my boyfriend managed to make last night (without too much assistance!). We served it with lamb marinated in lemon, rosemary and garlic and steamed vegetables.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 5mm discs
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 or 4 field mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the sliced potato between layers of baking paper to drain excess water.
2. Cook the onion and mushroom in a frying pan with a bit of butter or oil until almost soft. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Alternately layer the potatoes, mushroom mixture and cheese in a baking dish, finishing with potato and cheese at the top.
4. Cover with foil and place in the oven for about 60 minutes, and then remove the foil and cook for another 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and cheese browned.

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I came up with this idea last night and although it is pretty simple, it was really delicious. I haven’t mastered making perfect little pastry cups though, guess that comes with practice!

Ingredients

• shortcrust pastry (use the bought stuff)
• cream or chocolate sauce or yoghurt
• strawberries or fruit salad or mango or tinned fruits
• lemon honey or jam

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C and spray a muffin tin with oil.
2. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 and then place each piece in the muffin tin. Press down and trim off the excess. Using a fork, make holes in the base of the pastry, the more there are the less bubbles you will have. You could also use rice or beans in the bottom of the case, but I was lazy.
3. Place the pastry in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove and allow to cool.
4. Serve the pastry with a selection of fruits and sauces for guests to fill their own cases. I like strawberry, cream and chocolate… or cream and lemon honey… or….

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This will serve two as a quick meal with minimum clean up. You could use any kind of pesto or salsa verde, whatever takes your fancy. The chicken and vegetables will end up flavoured with the pesto and it is really delicious. If you don’t feel like doing a lot of washing up, eat it straight off the alfoil!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 2 or 3 squash, quartered
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 or 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• pesto

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to about 180C.
2. Cook the potato in the microwave until almost tender. On two large pieces of alfoil, pile up the vegetables and as the crowning glory, the chicken breast. Drop a couple of teaspoons (or tablespoons) of pesto onto the chicken breast and then wrap up the alfoil securely. Place on a tray and put it in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

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I made this recipe up last night, and it is very forgiving which is why I have not included quantities for the liquids. Add as much or as little wine and cream as you like. Delicious served with barbequed steak or chicken. Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 Swiss brown mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• butter
• slurp of red wine
• cream
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Clean the mushrooms and slice into 1cm strips. Halve and slice the onion.
2. Put a knob of butter into a medium saucepan and when heated, add the onions, mushrooms and garlic over a low to medium heat. Cook until onions and mushrooms are very soft - be careful not to burn them! If there isn’t enough liquid in the pan to cook them without burning, add a little stock or water.
3. When the vegetables are tender, add the red wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol has been cooked off. Add the cream and cook for a further few minutes. Serve.

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In the mornings, I place my oats and milk in the microwave with dried apple and cook for the suggested time (obviously depends on the type of your oats!) and then drizzle with honey. The apple plumps up in the warm milk and tastes just delicious. I would imagine that you could use any dried fruit - it’s a really delicious breakfast!!!

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This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients 

• 1 small lamb backstrap
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• zest from one lemon
• 1 tbs olive oil

• 1/2 small Kent pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, washed
• handful of green beans, topped and tailed
• couple of handfuls of baby spinach
• couscous, to serve
• plain yoghurt, to serve

Directions

1. Combine first set of spices, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Place lamb into the marinade and set aside.
2. Place pumpkin, olive oil and the second batch of spices in a bowl and coat pumpkin well. Place on a baking tray and put in an oven preheated to 220C for about 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, add the punnet of cherry tomatoes to the tray and continue to cook.
3. Meanwhile, blanch the beans in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes and then refresh under cold water.
4. When the tomatoes go into the oven, begin to cook the lamb backstrap on a preheated BBQ plate until done to your liking. Remove and set aside to rest.
5. Combine the pumpkin, tomatoes, beans and baby spinach in a bowl and serve with the lamb and couscous with a dollop of yoghurt.

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I just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. I have just been snowed under with study commitments which hasn’t left me much time for posting on here. I am going to rectify that from now on so you can expect more regular recipe posts from here on!!!

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This was a recipe I made up last night with what I had on hand. It was really delicious served with steamed vegetables and hot crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Ingredients

• 8 drumsticks
• 4 rashers of bacon, sliced
• 250g mushrooms, cleaned
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion, cut into eight
• 6 -8 baby potatoes, cut in half
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbs cornflour
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Place potatoes, onion and mushrooms in the base of a large oven proof dish which has a lid. Add a bit of salt and pepper and the rosemary and thyme.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a fry pan and cook chicken until brown. Add bacon and cook for a couple of minutes until browned slightly, then add garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
4. Pour in one cup of wine and drink the other. Pour in the chicken stock, add tomato paste and cornflour and stir. Cook until it has reduced slightly.
5. Place drumsticks on top of the potato mixture, then pour over sauce.
6. Cover and place in an oven and cook for about 1.5 hours, or until potatoes are tender and chicken cooked through.

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