Venison Tagine

We love venison as its such a rich and lean meat that's full of flavour and I was lucky to have been given a 3kg haunch of venison a while back by a colleague in exchange for making her daughter's Christening cake. Her husband shot and butchered the venison, so I can be sure of it's provenance.

After boning the joint of meat, I divided it and used one portion to make a tagine in my slow cooker as follows:

500g Venison, cubed (you can use beef or lamb if you prefer)
30ml Rapeseed oil
2 Onions, sliced
2 Cloves of garlic, crushed
1tbs Ground coriander
1tbs Ground cumin
2tsp Ground ginger
1tsp Ground cinnamon
250ml Beef stock
400g tin Plum tomatoes
100g Dried apricots, chopped
2tbs Ground almonds
400g tin Chick peas, drained and rinsed

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan and fry the venison in batches until browned.
2. Transfer the venison into the base of your slow cooker.
3. Gently fry the onion & garlic in the pan for 5 minutes until softened, then add the ground coriander, cumin, ginger and cinnamon and fry gently for 2 minutes.
4. Add this onion & spice mixture to your venison in the slow cooker.
5. Pour your stock into your frying pan to deglaze and heat until just boiling.
6. Pour this stock mixture over your meat and spice mixture.
7. Add the plum tomatoes, chopped apricots, ground almonds and chick peas.
8. Stir well then place the lid on top.
9. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 12 hours or on medium for 8 hours.

Serve with cous cous and a little fresh, chopped coriander to garnish.

Tomato Sauce Pizza Tipping

It's incredibly easy to make your own tomato sauce pizza topping and then, using any leftover, stir it into your pasta or spruce it up with mince to made a base for your bolognese sauce to go with your spaghetti.  This is how easy it is:

45ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1.25ml (¼tsp) Chilli flakes
2 x400g tins of chopped Tomatoes
2.5ml (½tsp) Sugar
Splash red wine (if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it!)
Basil stalks, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat your oil and cook your onions for 10 minutes until transparent and soft.
2. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes until cooked, but not brown.
3. Add the chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes, sugar and wine.
4. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer then taste and season as required.
5. Add the basil stalks.
6. Cover and simmer for 1 hour until thick.
7. Blitz until smooth.

*Use to top your pizza dough, or transfer into a clean Kilner jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
*To make your bolognese sauce, brown mince, and onion and garlic then stir through the sauce and heat until piping hot.

Meatballs with a Spicy Chilli Sauce

Similar to my other meatball recipe, I made this today but had a play with the sauce to spice it up using a Knorr Mixed Chilli Flavour pot.

2 medium Onions

3 cloves Garlic

Generous handful of fresh herbs (I used basil, sage, thyme, oregano & parsley)

2 eggs

100g Dried breadcrumbs

500g Minced Beef

Sauce

Small handful of fresh basil, sage & oregano

540g Passata sauce

1 medium Onion

4tbs tomato ketchup

1tbs Tomato purée

2tbs Cider vinegar

Knorr beef stock pot

Knorr mixed chilli flavour pot

Extra Virgin Olive oil

1. In a food processor, place the onions, garlic cloves, herbs and eggs.

2. Blitz until they form a thick, foamy paste.

3. In a large bowl, place your breadcrumbs and mince.

4. Pour your onion, garlic, herb and egg paste onto the mince and breadcrumbs and mix together thoroughly, using your hands.  Then wash your hands.

5. Without the need to wash the food processor bowl, add the sauce herbs, Passata and onion.  Blitz these together until they form a smooth sauce.

6. Pour your sauce ingredients into a large saucepan and add the ketchup, tomato purée and cider vinegar.

7. Mix the Knorr beef stock pot in 500ml boiling water until dissolved.

8. Add this to the sauce mixture with the Knorr mixed chilli flavour pot (I only used half of the chilli pot, but add more or less according to your own personal taste).

9. Bring the sauce ingredients to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.

10. Roll your meatball mixture into small balls, about 2cm in diameter.

11. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs all over.  It's best to do these in batches so that they brown and don't steam.

12. Transfer your browned meatballs to the sauce and shake the pan to coat.

13. Repeat until all of your meatballs are in your sauce mixture.  Try to avoid stirring the sauce so that you don't break your meatballs up.

14. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add your chosen pasta shape. Return to the boil then simmer until cooked to your liking.

15. Drain the pasta and add to your serving bowl.  Spoon some meatballs and sauce over your pasta.
16. Serve with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Stroganoff

2tbs Oil

3 Chicken breasts, cubed

1 Clove garlic, crushed

1 Red Pepper sliced

½ Yellow Pepper, sliced

1 Red onion, diced

1tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning

¼ Knorr Mixed Chillies Flavour Pot (or to taste)
6 Cherry tomatoes, quartered

150ml Single cream

25ml Boiling water

Chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley, to serve

Smoked Paprika, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.

2. Add the chicken pieces and fry until golden on all sides.

3. Add the garlic, peppers, onion, Jamaican jerk seasoning, ¼ Knorr Flavour Pot and cook until the onion is transparent.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes, cream, boiling water and chopped basil.

5. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 15 minutes until cooked through.

6. Taste the sauce and season according to your personal taste.

7. Serve with tagliatelle or spaghetti and sprinkle with chopped parsley and a dusting of smoked paprika.

I only added ¼ of the Knorr Mixed Chillies Flavour Pot as I don't like really hot and spicy foods, and this provided more than enough heat for me. These Flavour Pots are potent and I would recommend adding less than you think you need and adjusting as necessary with more if it's not hot enough.

Curry paste - the homemade version

In 1989, just after we got married, I bought a book on Curries by Pat Chapman from Sainsbury's.  Despite now owning several other curry recipe books, it's still our 'go to' book for all things spicy!  We've been blending the spices into curry powder and cooking it out in to a curry paste ever since then.  It's been tried and tested by many a guest to our house over the years, and as I used almost the last of my current batch making my chicken curry for dinner last night, I had to make some more today.  The benefit of making it today in the warm, dry weather, meant that I could cook it outdoors on my Cadac barbeque in the paella pan; sharing the amazing aroma with my neighbours and leaving my house smelling fragrant and not spicy for the next few days!

It's incredibly simple to do, so here it is in it's entirety.  All teaspoon measurements are ROUNDED.

12tsp Ground Coriander

6tsp Ground Cumin

5tsp Gram flour

5tsp Garlic powder

4tsp Fenugreek seeds

4tsp Paprika*

4tsp Turmeric

4tsp Garam Masala

1tsp Asafoetida

1tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Chilli powder*

1tsp Mustard powder*

1tsp White ground Pepper

250ml Cider vinegar

250ml Vegetable oil

1. Measure all your ingredients into a large bowl.

2. Pour in your cider vinegar and enough cold water to make a paste that 'dollops' off the spoon without being too runny.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok (I used my paella pan on my Cadac).

4. Add the curry paste (be careful as it'll spit initially due to the water content).

5. Cook for about 15 minutes until the water has evaporated.  You'll know it's cooked as when you leave it for a short while, the oil will rise to the surface of the paste.

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then decant into sterilised jars.

7. Heat a little more oil and pour over the top of the curry paste to prevent air getting to it.

8. Seal the jars and store in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks before using.

The recipe above is for a mild curry paste, however if you increase the quantities of Paprika, Chiili and Mustard you can increase the heat to your own preference. Similarly, if you don't have all the ingredients listed above, it's fine to leave one or two of the smaller quantities out.

This goes perfectly in my Chicken Curry Recipe.

The curry paste recipe is NOT originally my own, but it's one we've been using for 25 years now. Thanks to Pat Chapman and to Sainsbury's for a fabulous book - you should re-publish this!

Knorr Flavour Pots - Garlic, herb with Chicken Ras El Hanout

I'm really loving how easy these Knorr Flavour Pots are to use; a perfect blend of flavour combined with absolute ease of use makes meal preparation so much easier.

Tonight I combined two of the Flavour Pots; the garlic and the mixed herbs with 2tsp of Ras El Hanout seasoning and 1tbs of rapeseed oil into a large bowl and mixing them thoroughly. I then cut 4 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and coated them all in the garlic, herb & spice mixture before covering the bowl with cling film and placing in the fridge for 4-6 hours to marinade and infuse the chicken with these amazing flavours.

The chicken pieces were placed onto a baking tray and cooked at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until the chicken was cooked through.  Served simply with a stuffed bell pepper and some home made roast potato wedges was the perfect, simple tea time treat.  

There were some of the chicken pieces leftover after serving dinner, so I've allowed them to cool ready to go with a salad for my lunch on Monday.

The Knorr pots were given to me by the Unilever Kitchen and Knorr UK.  I was under no obligation to create this recipe or to post a positive review on the product.  My review above is a true reflection of how simple, convenient & delicious I have found these Flavour Pots.

Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce

A favourite in our house that I've been making since my son was a baby 18 years ago. Over the years I've changed it slightly and added a little chilli to make it for a more grown up palette, but feel free to exclude the chilli (or even add a little more if you prefer).

500g Minced beef

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1tsp ground Garlic

1tsp dried Oregano

1tsp dried Mixed Herbs

1tsp Chilli powder

50g Breadcrumbs

1 Egg

2tbs Rapeseed oil

Sauce

1 Onion, roughly chopped

540g Passata sauce

2tbs Tomato purée

1tbs Balsamic vinegar

1tsp dried Oregano

1tsp dried Mixed Herbs

1tsp Sugar

1. In a blender, place your onion, Passata, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, herbs & sugar.

2. Blitz all these together until smooth (alternatively you can put your sauce ingredients straight into your saucepan and use a stick blender).

3. Pour into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cover with the lid whilst you make your meatballs.

4. In a large bowl, place your minced beef, onion, garlic, herbs, chilli, breadcrumbs and egg.

5. Mix together until thoroughly combined.

6. Form small balls (you should be able to get 30-40 out of this mixture).  I generally use a 15ml (tbs) measuring spoon to portion my mixture out before rolling them into balls and setting to one side.

7. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry your meatballs in batches of 8-10 until browned all over.  Don't add too many into the pan or they'll steam rather than brown.

8. Tip your browned meatballs into the sauce and gently shake the pan to submerge them.

9. Continue to fry the batches of meatballs until they're all browned and you've transferred them all into the sauce.

10. Simmer the sauce and meatballs, without the lid on, for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.  Try not to stir the meatballs as it may break them up, instead give the saucepan a shake every so often.

11. While your meatballs are cooking, you have time to bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook your spaghetti until 'al dente', then drain.

12. Serve the meatballs on a bed of spaghetti, sprinkled win some freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano.

FREEZE: Once cooked, you can cool & freeze the sauce and meatballs for up to 3 months.  Allow to thoroughly defrost and then heat through gently in a saucepan until hot.  Serve with fresh pasta.

This is the perfect recipe to double up for another day's easy meal.

Apple & Sultana Chutney with a Chilli Kick

My basic apple & sultana chutney with a little bit of a 'kick'.  This is great to cook if you need to clear your head.  Remember to put the extractor fan on high though!

1.5kg Cooking Apples, cored and finely diced; no need to peel
750g Light Muscovado sugar
500g Sultanas
1 Medium white onion, finely chopped
1 Medium red onion, finely chopped
10ml Mustard seeds
10ml Ground Ginger
10ml Ground coriander
10ml Garlic powder
10ml dried Chilli flakes
5ml Salt
300ml Cider vinegar
300ml Red Wine Vinegar
150ml Balsamic Vinegar

1. In a large, heavy based pan, combine all the ingredients.

2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, stirring frequently until thick & syrup-like.  Remember to keep it moving every minute or so as it gets thicker to prevent it sticking to the pan.

3. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a while.
4. Decant into hot, clean, sterilised jars and seal.

5. Store in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks for the flavours to develop fully before enjoying.

Colmans Season and Steam Sachets with Crispy Sage & Onion Stuffing

Using some more of the ingredients from the kit I was sent by the Unilever kitchen, I created a whole tasty meal, which I'll share with you here:

CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, cubed

15ml Rapeseed oil

50g Paxo Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix

50g Flora buttery

4 Cloves garlic

1. Cube the chicken into bite sized pieces.

2. Place into an oven roasting dish.

3. Drizzle with oil.

4. Sprinkle with the stuffing mix and dot over with the flora buttery.

5. Throw in the whole cloves of garlic.

6. Roast at 180C for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile...

POTATOES

500g Potatoes

100ml Water

1 Sachet of Colmans Season and Steam Garden Herb & Potatoes mix

30ml Rapeseed oil

1. Cube the potatoes into even sized pieces.

2. Place the potatoes into the steam bag and sprinkle with the Season Mixture in accordance with the instructions on the back of the sachet.

3. Add the water and use the to tie the top of the steam bag. Shake well to coat the potatoes with the Garden Herb mix.

4. Cook in the microwave on high power for 9 1/2 Minutes, according to the timings provided for your microwave.

5. Remove from the microwave and allow to stand for 1minute, then drain.

6. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes until nicely browned all over.

VEGETABLES:

150g Courgettes, sliced 1cm thick

1 Medium red onion, diced

120g Red pepper, cubed

130g Vine ripened tomatoes, quartered

Colmans Season and Steam Mediterranean Vegetables mix

1. Prepare the vegetables as above and place into the steam bag.

2. Sprinkle the season mixture over the vegetables and use the tie to seal the bag, in accordance with   packet instructions.

3. Shake the bag to coat evenly.

4. Microwave on high for 5 1/2 minutes according to the timings provided for your microwave.

5. Remove from the microwave and allow to stand for 1 minute.

Serve

Fusilli Al Vegetali

A quick and easy supper for 2.

150g Pasta Shapes
30ml Rapeseed Oil
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 Bay leaf
1 medium Carrot, cut into Julienne (thin strips)
1 medium Courgette, cut into Julienne (thin strips)
100g Mushrooms, sliced
400g Tomatoes (tinned or fresh, chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste
25g Fresh Parmesan, grated

1. Put a large pan of water on to boil for your pasta.
2. Heat your oil and gently fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf together until the onion is transparent.
3. Add your carrot, mushrooms and courgettes and cook for a further 2 minutes on a high heat.
4. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
5. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes.
6. To the juices in your pan, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Return the vegetables to the pan to warm through.
8. Drain the pasta.
9. Add the pasta to your vegetables and mix well.
10. Serve sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan.

Chilli for dinner

Autumn is definitely on the way and what better meal to have than a warming bowl of fresh chilli. Not from a jar plucked from a supermarket shelf, but from your own fair hands and a few simple, store cupboard ingredients.

10ml Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

500g Lean minced beef

1 Beef stock cube

5ml (1tsp) Chilli flakes (or more, if you're feeling brave & like it hot!)

400g Can chopped tomatoes

15ml (1tbs) Tomato purée

10ml (2tsp) Oregano

1 can Red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1. Heat your oil gently in a saucepan.

2. Add the onion & garlic and cook until softened.

3. Add your minced beef & cook until browned.

4. Add the stock cube, chilli flakes, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano and kidney beans.

5. Bring to the boil & cook on a gentle simmer for at least 30 mins (uncovered) or for an hour (with the lid on).

Serve with boiled rice, grated cheese, soured cream & tortilla crisps.

* if it's not hot enough, you can add extra chilli flakes, a chopped fresh chilli, or some Tabasco sauce.

Basmati rice the Rosie way...

1. Tip the quantity of rice you want into a large jug.

2. Pour over boiling water to cover plus about 1-2cm above.

3. Stir to break up any clumps.

4. Leave it alone while you.

5. Bring a large pan of cold water to the boil.

6. Stir then drain your rice.

7. Add the rice to your boiling water, stir & return to the boil.

8. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

9. Cook uncovered for about 7 mins until the grains have started to fluff & it's cooked (taste a few grains to check).

10. Drain & serve.

**You're wasting your money if you add oil to the water. Oil is lighter than water and simply floats on the surface whilst your rice sits below the surface. It doesn't stop your rice grains from sticking together (you pour it down the sink when you drain your rice)

Beef burgers

Everyone loves a burger from time to time, and to make your own surpasses the flavour of any shop bought, mass produce, additive containing, packed out with cheap filler, mush every time.  They're simple to make (involve the kids) and you can easily batch make these to freeze for a later date. So, lets burger off into the kitchen and get making!

10 Wholewheat crackers (or Cream Crackers or 2 slices of bread, crumbed)

Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped (use 1tbs dried if you don't have fresh)

15ml (1tbs) Wholegrain mustard (or any mustard you find in your fridge!)

1 Large egg

1 Medium onion, finely chopped

1 Red chilli, finely chopped

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

500g Minced beef (try to choose leaner beef if you can, as it'll ooze less fat when you cook it)

Salt & pepper

1. Tip all of your ingredients into a large bowl.

2. Get your hands in there and squish it all together until fully combined.

3. Divide into 8 equal(ish) portions.

4. Flatten into evenly shaped rounds resembling a burger (make sure they're about the same thickness so they all cook at the same time).

 

5. Preheat a griddle pan until very hot.

6. Cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until cooked through.

Serve in a roll with some tomato chutney, cheese & a bit of salad.

See, I told you it was easy!

If you don't want to use them all now, simply place a piece of waxed/grease proof paper between each one, bag them up and put into a freezer.  Defrost before cooking.

If you want to be all evenly shaped and pretty looking, you can buy a burger press with waxed discs fairly cheaply online or even from some of the supermarkets.

Home made Hummus

I was after something quick and tasty to cook for lunch today so this is what I made.

There are lots of recipes out there for Humous (as well as lots of ways of spelling it!) This is the one that I use;

1 x 400g tin Chick peas, drained and rinsed

½tsp (2.5ml) Sea Salt (or to taste)

3 cloves of Garlic, peeled
4 tbs (60ml) Tahini paste
1 Lemon, juiced
¼tsp (1.25ml) Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2-4tbs Soured cream

And this is how easy it is to make...

1. Place all of the above into a food processor, apart from the soured cream, and blitz to a smooth paste (this takes a few minutes).

2. Stop the processor after each minute or so and scrape down the sides to ensure that it is all evenly blended.

3. Adjust the lemon juice, salt and Cayenne pepper to your personal taste; adding a little more if necessary.  This mixture will still be quite thick.

4. Mix in a couple of tablespoons of soured cream and blend further.

5. Continue to add the soured cream, a tablespoon at a time, and then blend until you achieve the right consistency.  Personally I like it to 'blob' off the spatula.

6. Serve with hot toasted pitta breads or vegetable sticks such as carrots, celery, peppers etc.

Rosie's Sausage House Hash

I've got another quick savoury recipe to share with you today.  A fave in our house or even caravan if we're away and really quick & easy to make too.  Let me share it with you.  You will need:


1 1/4lbs potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion
1 pack (about 1lb) Cumberland / Lincolnshire sausages
3tbs olive oil
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste
8oz mushrooms (optional)
3/4 pint beef or onion gravy

Oven temperature 190C / Gas Mark 5

Ok then, lets get those ingredients prepped:

1. Peel your potatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces. (oops!  forgot to photograph them).  Place them in cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Slice your onions.

3. Crush your garlic.

4. Gently fry your sausages until browned all round, remove and set aside.

5. Add a little oil into the pan that you cooked your sausages in and fry for 4-5 minutes until starting to become transparent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

6. Drain your potatoes and add them to the onions and garlic with the paprika.

7. Stir to coat well and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

8. Cut each sausage into 3 diagonally (only because it makes them look nicer!) and then add them to the pan. Season and mix well.

9. Pour the potato and sausage mixture into an ovenproof dish and pour the gravy over the top.  Mix gently to coat.

10. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

11. Serve with steamed carrots or broccolli.


Enjoy, and if you do follow my recipe and like the result, please return and leave me a comment.

Thanks.


Rosie
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