Winter Weekday Menu
Monday
CHICKPEA, CHORIZO & SPINACH STEW
For a healthy, warming supper that takes little effort or time, you can’t beat this stunning combination!
Serves 4
Ingredients
3-4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
few fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g chorizo, diced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp hot smoked paprika ( can be substituted with normal paprika)
2 x 410g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar
400g bag spinach leaves, washed and rinsed (I prefer to use English spinach)
1. Heat the oil in a large pan, then gently fry the onion for 3-4 mins until it begins to soften. Stir in the carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Season, then cook for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, chorizo, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Gently fry until the vegetables soften and the chorizo starts to release its rich, red oils and crisp up.
2. Stir in the chickpeas, vinegar and 150ml water, then bring to a simmer for 1-2 mins until the chickpeas have heated up. Add the spinach, then stir through the chickpeas until it wilts a little. Remove from the heat, season to taste, then serve warm with crusty bread.
Tuesday
CHILLI CON CARNE
This dish can probably qualify as one of my favourites to prepare on a cold, rainy night. The only essential is to ensure the cook has a good glass of red wine on hand at all times! I find it terribly dreadful to cook without a glass of wine....
Ingredients
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 kg lean beef mince
250ml red wine
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato puree
2 red chillies, thinly sliced ( if you don't like too much heat, remove the seeds)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp cocao powder
125ml good quality beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 x 400g cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
2. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
4. Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further ten minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary.
To serve, dollop some rich sour cream on your chilli, with lots of grated cheddar cheese on top. Bliss.....absolute bliss!
Wednesday
EASY LEMON ROAST CHICKEN & POTATO WEDGES
Serves 6
The perfect mid-week dinner. Delicious and nutritious!
Ingredients
6 boneless chicken breasts, with skins
1 red onion, cut into wedges
500g floury potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1 large lemon
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp clear honey
1½ tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
1. In a frying pan, fry the chicken breasts in a little olive oil, skin side down for 2-3 minutes until browned. Place in a large roasting tin with the onion and potato wedges.
2. Remove the zest from the lemon and cut in half. Cut one half into wedges and add to the pan with 4 whole cloves of garlic. Squeeze the juice from the other half of lemon and mix with the zest, honey, oil and remaining crushed garlic. Pour over the chicken, season well and add the herbs.
3. Bake for 1 hour or until the potato wedges are tender and the chicken is cooked throughout. Serve immediately from the roasting tin.
Here is a bit of potato trivia:
· In 1995, the potato was the first vegetable grown in space.
· The potato is the world's 4th most important food crop after rice, wheat and corn.
· The potato is grown in more countries than any crop but corn.
· Europeans consume twice as many potatoes as Americans per year.
· Potatoes are second only to milk as the most consumed food in America
Thursday
MINT CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKES
Oh! You are nearing the end of the week, and you're almost at the end of your tethers with deadlines and your demanding boss. Why not spoil yourself and sweeten your burdens with these very scrumptious cakes!
Ingredients
170g dark chocolate, chopped (please, don't use milk chocolate or baking chocolate for this!)
125ml butter
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of cake flour
1 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract/essence
1/4 tsp of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 180'C. Generously butter 6 ramekins. Cut the butter into pieces and heat the chocolate with the butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove pan from stove and let cool slightly.
2. Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until thickened and pale. Add the flour and beat until incorporated. Add the chocolate mixture, peppermint extract and salt. Pour mixture into prepared ramekins, and place them on a baking sheet.
3. Bake the cakes for 10-11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers look shiny. Remove the cakes from oven, and cool for 5-10 minutes. Delicious served with vanilla ice-cream.
Friday
CHEESE FONDUE
This classic, retro dish made popular in the seventies, is slowly but surely finding its way back in to dinner party menus. So dust off your mom's old fondue set, and savour the social ambience created around your dinner table with friends and family.
Ingredients
250g Swiss-style cheese, e.g. Emmenthaler, shredded
250g Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tbsp flour or cornstarch (use cornstarch if cooking gluten-free)
1 garlic clove, halved
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Kirsch(optional, but its the classic ingredient)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1. Rub the inside of your fondue set with the half garlic clove, and discard. Place all the ingredients in the pan, and melt together.
Serve with assorted dipping foods such as cubed French bread, carrots, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, peeled and chopped apples and pears.
Saturday
LEMON-PEAR BREAKFAST BREAD
I find few things as relaxing as putting on my apron, and baking delicious treats. The following recipe is a unique take on an old fashioned banana loaf...instead of bananas, it contains pears. The hearty aroma of this freshly baked bread is sure to melt any wintry blues!
Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil and 1 tbsp canola oil for pan
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup store-bought pear puree
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 ripe pears, grated
1. Preheat oven to 180'C. Brush a loaf pan with oil, and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup oil, lemon zest, eggs, honey, pear puree, and poppy seeds. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in grated pears.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown, slightly cracked on the surface, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 75 to 85 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand until completely cool, about 30 minutes, before serving.
Sunday
STICKY, SLOW ROASTED BELLY OF PORK (James Martin)
Serves 6
This one goes out especially to my sister. Here is the recipe as requested. I hope I get a chance to sample it next time I come for a visit.
Ingredients
1.3kg piece pork belly , boned, rind left on and scored
2 tsp sunflower oil 1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
3 large onions, sliced
2-3 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp ground cumin
1 red chilli , deseeded and chopped
1. Heat oven to 180'C. Lay the pork, skin-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin. Trickle with a little oil, then lightly press on the crushed peppercorns and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Place in the oven, then cook for 1 hr. Remove from the oven and baste with the juices. Continue to cook for a further 1½ hrs, basting every 20 mins.
2. Put the sliced onions in the roasting tin under the pork. Mix the honey together with the cumin and chilli, brush it over the pork, then increase the oven to 200'C. Cook for a further 30-40 mins, basting occasionally, until caramelised with a rich, golden glaze over the pork. Once cooked and tender (this can be easily tested by piercing the flesh with a knife), remove pork from the oven, then leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
3. While the pork is resting, heat the tin on the stove with the onions, adding 2 tbsp water. This will lift any residue from the pan, creating a moist cooking liquor. Season the onions with salt and pepper, then divide between 6 plates. Carve pork into 6 portions, then serve on top of the onions. Pour any remaining liquor over and serve with the Pumpkin mash (below).
Pumpkin mash
Peel 1 kg pumpkin and cut into chunks. Season and roast with the pork for the last 30 mins until soft and fluffy. Meanwhile, peel 1kg potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil in salted water for 10 mins until soft. Drain and mash with 2 tbsp milk and 50g butter, seasoning to taste. Mash the pumpkin into the potato until smooth.
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