Haricot bean and mutton stew

Our butcher is supplying mutton again. They explained there hasn’t been a call for it in the last few years.…that’s until recent credit crunch times. This is recipe is delicious, Tunisian in flavour and slow cooked so the meat is really tender. Lovely served with rice, and lemon wedges.

Ingredients (serves 6)

2 onions, chopped
3 tbs olive oil or veg oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
750g (1 and half lb) mutton
500g (1lb) haricot beans, soaked over night
500g (1lb) tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or tinned)
1-2 tsp sugar or to taste
juice of one lemon
half tsp harissa
2 tsp of cinnamon or cumin or mix of both
salt and pepper

Method

Fry the onions in oil until golden, add the garlic and when it begins to colour add the meat and brown it all over, stirring. Then add the drained beans and tomatoes, add the sugar and cover with water. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat and beans are very tender, adding salt and pepper and lemon juice just before serving.


Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Kofta Curry

More delicious ‘ways with mince’... this is a lovely alternative to a Friday night take away curry. Spicy as you want it, depending on the strength of your chilli. We served it with rice, which worked well. You could equally have it with nan or chapatti, and left overs in a sandwich!

Ingredients

3 onions, sliced
2 gloves garlic
2 green chillies (more or less depending on your taste)
3.5 cm (1 and half inch) piece root ginger
25g (1oz) each coriander and mint leaves
2 tsp salt
500g (1lb) minced beef
4 tbs oil
1 tsp each of chilli powder and ground cumin
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs water
25g (1oz) tomato puree, diluted in 300ml (half pint) water
mint leaves to garnish

method

put 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 2 chillies, 1 cm piece ginger, herbs and half the salt into a food processor and work into a paste.

Mix with the minced beef, roll into walnut size balls and fry lightly in 3 tbs oil. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the remaining onions and fry until golden. Crush the remaining garlic and chop the remaining ginger.. Add to the pan with the chilli powder, cumin, ground coriander and the water. Fry stirring for 2 minutes, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and remaining salt. Simmer for 10 mins. Gently add the meat balls in to the pan and simmer for 30 mins. Garnish with mint to serve.

Illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Quince chutney

Last week on a walk I found a quince tree, with loads of windfalls, so with a rucksack full I ambled home. I first cooked with quinces a couple of years ago, and didn’t have much luck with them, they where just to hard. So this time, I placed them on the window sill for a week to turn from light green to the riper yellow colour. Then cut them into smaller chunks, time-consuming but worth it, as the resulting chutney is delicious, and no problems this time with hard quince.

I used the following recipe, from www.hungrybrowser.com

8 cups peeled, cored diced quinces
3 oranges thinly sliced
3 cups of brown sugar
1 and half cups honeymead or white wine vinegar (I used a combination of white wine vinegar and malt, and its worked very well)
1 cup sultanas
quarter cup finely chopped preserved ginger (I only had fresh in, which worked very well)
1 cup of raisins
1 medium onion finely chopped
quarter cup yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
half tsp ground cloves
half tsp ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic crushed
juice and zest of 1 lemon

method

combine all ingredients, except ginger with 1 and half cups of water in a large non-reactive saucepan. Simmer for 45 mins. Add ginger, cool five mins, spoon into hot sterilised jars and seal while hot. Keeps 12 months in a cool dark place (the last lot of Quince chutney I made, I kept for 2 years… and was fine when I opened it!) Refrigerate after opening.

Today’s illustration © Lois Blackburn 2008 www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Pork sausage with lentils

My other half made this variation of an Italian recipe tonight and I have to add it here, its delicious and cheap and cheerful! Its inspired by Gennaro Contaldo’s recipe Zampone con lenticchie, but replaced Italian sausage with locally produced pork sausages..

Ingredients

350g puy lentils
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 large potato, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
3 whole garlic gloves, crushed
4 tbs olive oil
about 1.5 litres veg stock
pork sausages (we used 6 from our fantastic local butcher)

method

wash the lentils. Drain and place in large pan with carrots, courgette, potato, celery, parsley, garlic and olive oil. Pour in enough stock to cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 mins, or until the lentils are soft and the dish has a stew like consistency.

Meanwhile, fry the sausage until coloured, chop it up, and add to the stew for the last 10mins or so of cooking. This way the sausage gives even more flavour to the stew.

Remove from the heat, and serve with seasonal green veg. (we used steamed cabbage which was lovely)

Illustration © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk

Moussaka

Tried this recipe out this evening, and can highly recommend it. Its another from Claudia Roden’s ‘The Book of Jewish Food’, and makes a pleasant change from the usual recipe. Without any dairy products, it is a lighter and fresher tasting moussaka.

Ingredients (serves 8)

1kg (2lb) aubergines, cut into thin slices
salt
oil for frying
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1kg (2lb) minced lamb or beef
1 and half tsp cinnamon
half tsp allspice
pepper
2 tbs tomato puree
a bunch of flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
750g (1 and half lb) tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar or more (optional)

method

sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and leave them for about an hour, then rinse and dry them on a tea towel or kitchen paper. Fry in very hot oil very briefly, turning them over once, so that they are only lightly browned all over and don’t have to much time to absorb too much oil, drain on layers of kitchen paper, and cover with more to get rid of any excess oil.

Fry the onions in 2 tbs of oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and fry till aroma rises. Add the minced meat, cinnamon, allspice, salt and plenty of pepper. Crush the meat and mix well until it changes colour. Add the tomato puree and cook for about 10 mins, then stir in the parsley.

Assemble the moussaka in a baking dish. Arrange a layer of fried aubergine slices at the bottom. Cover with a layer of tomato slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread the minced meat filling on top. Cover with a second layer of aubergin and tomato slices. Bake uncovered for 30-40 mins at 350oF/180oC/gas mark 4.

Variations
- courgettes maybe used instead of aubergines.
- Another favourite is potato moussaka, use layers of thinly sliced new potatoes about 1kg (2lb) instead of the aubergines. It will need longer cooking.

Today’s illustration, © Lois Blackburn www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Rabbit stew

I love rabbit, but sadly have only eaten it in Restaurants in Italy. I’ve tried lots of different ways of cooking it myself, some trying to recreate those meditation flavours, others (like the following recipe) following a more traditional English method… I’ve been told at my local butcher that rabbit is available in months with an R in! Rabbit is good value meat, and a source of high quality protein and its leaner than beef, pork and chicken meat.

Ingredients:

1 rabbit (ask your butcher to divide it up into small joints)
quarter of a pound of streaky bacon
1 pint of stock
1 glass of red wine
2 oz of butter
1 and half oz of flour
18 button onions or shallots, peeled
a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf)
2 cloves
6 peppercorns
salt and pepper to taste

method:

1. cut the bacon into small pieces, heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon and onions until browned, remove to a plate.
2. Add the rabbit to the pan, and when its got a little colour sprinkle in the flour, continue to fry until the rabbit and flour have a good colour.
3. Put the onion and bacon back in the pan, add the hot stock, bouquet garni, cloves peppercorns and salt to taste, cover closely and cook gently for about an hour, or until the rabbit is tender (I like my rabbit after a few hours for a long, slow cook)
4. About 15 mins before serving add the wine.

Today’s illustration rabbits, © Lois Blackburn please visit www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more images

Pork sausages with lemon potatoes and bay leaves

We have a wonderful butcher in our local town, they must have at least 20 varieties of sausages there, from Blackpudding and pork to Cumberland, to spicy beef, to garlic and herb, delicious. If you haven’t checked your local butcher out recently, do try, hopefully they to will have a range of delicious sausages, along with regional specialities. Its worth spending a bit more on quality butchers sausages, our local ones, have less fat, no water (that supermarkets add to meat for extra weight) and taste fantastic. Your still looking at a very economical meal… this is a delicious way to add a bit of sophistication to your bangers!

Ingredients:

450g of pork chipolatas (or other good quality pork sausages)
4 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
750g small waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered
zest and juice of half a lemon
4 fresh bay leaves
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt and fresh black pepper

method:

Preheat the oven to 180oC /Gas Mark 4. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the sausages and fry until nicely browned all over. Lift onto a plate and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and another tbs of oil to the casserole and fry until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the potatoes, sausages, lemon zest and juice, bay leaves, half the chopped parsley, half tsp salt and black pepper. Pour over the rest of the oil along with 120ml water, cover tightly with lid and back for 30-40 mins until the potatoes are tender. Remove the lemon zest and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley before serving.

Todays illustration is pig © Lois Blackburn, please visit www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more

Pete's Burger

Lovely home made burgers, you see what’s going into them, and maybe more importantly what nasty stuff isn’t in it….

Finally chop up about 4 shallots and 2 cloves of garlic, and some fresh parsley. Mix with about a 1 pound of good quality minced beef, (get it from your local butcher, so you can see what your getting!) season to taste. Best to leave the mixture in the bowl for a couple of hours or over night, so the flavours all mix together…

Shape into burger size patties, enough for 4 people. Throw on a really hot griddle, (or Barbie) 2 or 3 minutes each side.

Serve with salad, in a bun to your choice, a homemade sweetcorn relish, tomato sauce or mustard…. with a good portion of potato wedges. I just fancy one right now!

todays illustration is 'bullock' a monoprint. To see more of my illustrations go to

Mince n Tatties

A good friend has just emailed me this recipe, which I will be trying out very soon. Thanks again Jenny....

Here's my fave cheap eat. Well, it's not so much cheap, as very easy for the time pressed mum, there's no chopping, browning, sweating or any of that palaver:

Mince n tatties.

This recipe was recounted to me by a mummy chum, and it was passed on to her by her childminder. Whan an excellent provenance.

Ingredients:
Mince (lamb, beef, pork, whatever you have, but I think lamb is best).
A few tablespoons of barley.
Potatoes and carrots, scrubbed.
Some stock cubes.

Method:
Mix the mince and the barley in a big oven proof pot. Pour over hot stock until well covered. Plonk the carrots and potatoes on the top. Bring to the boil on the hob. Stick in the oven (160 degrees) for 1 and a half hours. Check it and stir it every so often, adding more water if required.

Everyone will love this, especially on a dank day.

Jenny

p.s Today’s illustration is a silk painting ‘carrots’ © Lois Blackburn. Please visit http://www.loisblackburn.co.uk for more images.