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Recipes: Main Courses enhanced
with Herbs
Lavender and peppercorn rub for roasted meat
3 tsp mixed peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp dried lavender heads.
Combine all the ingredients and crush coarsely in a mortar and pestle, or in a strong plastic bag with a rolling pin. Store in a small jar to rub onto your roasts or barbecue meat.
Barbecue Fish flavoured with Fennel
Fennel enhances the flavour of oily fish, cooked whole either on the BBQ or under the grill.
Wash and dry whole cleaned fish such as mackerel or red mullet and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Fill the inside of each fish with as many fennel leaves as possible. Brush with oil and grill or BBQ for 10 – 12 minutes until brown on both sides.
Arrange more fennel stalks on a serving dish and lay the fish on top of them to serve, garnished with lemon wedges.
Fennel Rice stuffing for fish, chicken or courgettes
1 large onion
50g butter
2 tbs chopped fennel leaves
1 tbs chopped lovage leaves
125g brown rice - cooked until just tender
1 large egg - beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a small pan over a gentle heat and soften the finely chopped onion for about 10 minutes but do not allow to brown. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix gently, season to taste.
This stuffing can be used to fill 4 fish prior to grilling, a large roasting chicken or courgette halves with the seeds hollowed out, stuffed and baked in the oven until tender.
Grilled Halloumi cheese
An unusual recipe for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, the cheese can be either grilled or cooked on a barbecue. Halloumi cheese stays solid when heated unlike most other cheeses that melt and drip.
2 packs of Halloumi cheese
6 tbs olive oil
3 tbs orange juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of garlic – crushed
1 heaped tsp each finely chopped rosemary and oregano
2 heaped tsp each finely chopped lemon thyme and parsley
Dry the halloumi and cut into slices about 2cm thick and place in a wide shallow dish. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the cheese slices, turning them so that they are well coated with the marinade.
Cover and place in the fridge, leave to marinate for as long as possible up to a maximum of 24 hours.
Grill or barbecue the halloumi slices, turning frequently, for 10 minutes until they are brown on the edges. The grilled halloumi is particularly nice served with the red rice salad recipe.
Horseradish sauce
1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp sugar
2 tsp vinegar 4 tbs grated horseradish
1 tsp prepared mustard 150ml either double cream
½ tsp salt or crème fraiche
¼ tsp black pepper or Elmlea
The peeled horseradish maybe grated by hand or ideally finely chopped enclosed in food processor where the fumes are kept away from your eyes.
Add all the other ingredients to the horseradish either in a bowl or directly into the food processor and blend well.
The sauce keeps well in a jar in the fridge and if Elmlea is used the sauce will keep for up to 9 months if tightly covered, so it is worth making a large batch.
Rich tomato sauce
Tomato sauce can be used as a base for pizzas or pasta dishes. It freezes well and can be made in bulk. In summer, if there is a glut, fresh peeled tomatoes can be substituted for the tinned ones.
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
4 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tbs fresh herb)
Bay leaf
Heat the oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden. Add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste. Simmer on a low heat in the covered pan for 30 minutes then remove the lid and simmer a little longer until the sauce has thickened.
Salad burnet sauce
The sauce maybe served hot or cold, with chicken, poached or hard-boiled eggs and seasonal vegetables such as asparagus.
2 tbs olive oil 300ml crème fraiche
1 onion – finely chopped 4 tbs chopped salad burnet
3 tbs flour seasoning
300ml good stock,
(either chicken or vegetable)
Fry the onion in the oil until it is just starting to brown. Lower the heat, stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually add the stock and bring to the boil stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened.
Add the salad burnet leaves and the crème fraiche and mix the sauce well. Reheat before serving if required hot.
The sauce maybe served hot or cold, with chicken, poached or hard-boiled eggs and seasonal vegetables such as asparagus.
Swede and thyme topping for cottage pie
A large swede – peeled and diced
1 tbsp. chopped thyme leaves – use lemon, common or even caraway thyme
A clove of garlic – well crushed
Ground black pepper to taste
75 ml milk
Add the swede to a large pan of boiling water and simmer for about 15 minutes until very tender.
Drain very well and mash with the rest of the ingredients
Use this instead of the usual mashed potato to top your favourite cottage or shepherds pie base, three large peeled and chopped carrots can be substituted for half of the swede for change.
Chive flavour new potatoes with olives and peppers
A recipe to use all those chives!
1kg new potatoes – sliced
1 tbs olive oil and 25g butter
2 onions – peeled and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves – crushed
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 green pepper – diced
1 red or yellow pepper – diced
50g stoned olives (green or black or a mixture) – halved
A large bunch of fresh chives.
In a wide sauté pan or frying pan melt the butter with the oil and sauté the potatoes, onions, garlic and seasoning over a low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to go golden brown.
Add the diced peppers and cook again for another 5 or 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Add the olives and snip in the chives using a pair of scissors, heat through for a couple of minutes and serve straight away from the pan.
Potato and spicy sausage salad
500g salad potatoes 100g spicy sausage -
3 spring onions pepperoni, chorizo or similar
2 heaped tbs each Ground black pepper
mayonnaise and natural yoghurt ½ tsp ground coriander
2 tbs chopped English mace leaves
Cook the potatoes until just tender and when cool dice into bite sized pieces. Add the sausage in similar sized chunks.
Thinly slice the spring onion discarding the coarser parts of the green tops and add to the potatoes and sausage.
In a small bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients to make dressing, reserving a little mace. Spoon the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix gently.
Serve sprinkled with the remaining mace. Excellent with grilled meats, BBQ’s and cold meat and any other well flavoured dish, or on its own as a light lunch.
Couscous with rosemary roasted vegetables
This recipe is a quick lunch for 3-4 or can be served as part of a main meal with chicken kebabs or other grilled meat.
1 small butternut squash – peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
1 courgette – diced into 3 cm cubes
1 red pepper – halved, deseeded and cut into 2cm strips
2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves – roughly chopped
6 tbs olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
50g butter
250g couscous
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey
salt and black pepper
Preheat your oven to 200C, 400F or Gas Mark 6.
Mix the prepared vegetables with the rosemary and half of the olive oil in a small roasting tin and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the tomatoes, stir gently and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes
Meanwhile prepare the couscous as per the instructions on the pack and whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey with the remaining oil in a small bowl to make the dressing, season to taste.
When the vegetables are nearly ready, melt the butter in a large pan and gently sauté the couscous for 3 – 4 minutes. Divide the couscous between individual plates and top with the roasted vegetables. Drizzle over the dressing to taste.
Mole Pollo
(Chicken with a chocolate sauce – serves 4)
8 chicken thighs – skinned
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
For the sauce:
1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp cinnamon
1 large onion, finely chopped 2 red chillies, chopped
125g ground almonds (adjust quantity to taste)
3 large tomatoes, chopped 500ml chicken stock
2 small tortillas, crumbled finely 75g high cocoa plain chocolate
50g sultanas 2 heaped tbs finely chopped chocolate peppermint
Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4
Place the chicken thighs into a baking dish and drizzle with the oil, sprinkle over the cumin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, cover with a little foil for the first 30 minutes to keep the chicken from becoming too brown.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium pan and soften the onion. Add the almonds, tomatoes, sultanas, tortillas, cinnamon and chillies and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes more. Using a blender, puree to give a smooth sauce.
Return the sauce to the heat, stir in the chocolate and 1½ tbs of the mint, and stir until the sauce is thick.
Pour a little of the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining mint. Serve with brown rice and the rest of the sauce. |