Lamb Meatballs with ratatouille

These are great to have with ratatouille and pasta I find however also just be good with a tomatoey sauce. Enjoy! Love the combination of mint and lamb they complement each other so well, even better for getting the herbs from my own garden. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs
1 packet 450g lamb mince
1 onion diced finely
Sprinkling of ina parmaan garlic and herb seasoning ( see note below)
About three sprigs of mint leaves chopped very fine
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 egg to bind
Sprinkling of breadcrumbs

For the ratatouille:

1 onion chopped finely
4 courgettes chopped roughly
1 yellow pepper
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
Mixed herbs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 fan oven. To make the ratatouille heat some oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion garlic and herbs. Traditional ratatouille also has aubergine but I didn't have any so you have to be creative. Once onions are transluscent add the pepper and courgettes and stir occassionally for 5-10 minutes.  Then add the chopped tomatoes, simmer on a low heat for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and put to one side.


2. Combine all of the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl.  Do not be alarmed if the mixture is wet, you can always add some more breadcrumbs if you wish. Form into small balls and place into a frying pan in a tablespoon of oil. Fry on a low to medium heat, until they are all browned. Cook in batches and place all of them in a pyrex dish.

3. Pour the ratatouille mixture over the meatballs and place in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Goes well with pasta and a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Ina Parmaan Garlic and Herb Seasoning- this stuff is fantastic I discovered it when travelling to Africa. It adds so much flavour I find. You can buy it here, if you want http://www.thesavanna.co.uk/ina-paarman-seasoning-garlic-and-herb.html.


If you do not have it just add some garlic salt, herbs and salt. It will work just as well :)

Cookie Dough Ice-Cream

I love Ben and Jerrys cookie dough ice cream. So I thought I would experiment and try and make my own as I have an ice cream maker.   I am pretty pleased with the result! The recipe is below let me know what you think. Be patient it is time consuming but so worth it!


Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Ingredients:

300ml full cream milk
284ml double cream
3 eggs separated
85g caster sugar
1 tsp of good vanilla extract
Packet of chocolate chunks

The cookie dough recipe I used was http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/4807/best-big--fat--chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.aspx, I think the recipe is brilliant! So chewy just how I like cookies to be. Make sure you make these before you start making the ice cream so they can chill in the fridge ready to roll into small blobs




Method:

1.  Combine the milk and vanilla extract into a saucepan over a low heat. When it has nearly come to the boil take off the heat, covered and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile separate the whites from the yolks into a bowl. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar until light and creamy. Whisk in the milk and pour back into the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon keep stirring the mixture over a low/medium  heat until the mixture lightly covers the back of the spoon and has thickened slightly.

3. Transfer slightly thickened custard mixture into a clean bowl and whisk in the cream until combined. Pour the mixture into a jug cover and refridgerate until completely chilled.

4. Once mixture is chilled, slowly pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and churn according to the ice cream maker instructions. Add the chocolate chunks a few minutes before the ice cream is finished.

5. Making little blobs of cookie dough with your hands put into the mixture and slowly fold to combine. Make sure to do it slowly otherwise it will separate.

6. Using a spatula transfer the mixture into a suitable freezable container.

Veggie Burgers with ratatouille

If you have any leftover it goes nicely with egg and bacon, sausages and baked beans and even pasta and ratatouille which is the recipe I will lay down here for you.


Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:
3 potatoes peeled and chopped
Half a butternut peeled de seeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 onion finely diced
Mixed herbs to taste
400g tin of mixed beans drained from the vinigarette
Flour to sprinkle on the burgers
Sesame Seeds

For the Ratatouille ( I didn't have any aubergine this time unfortunately!)

3 courgettes chopped roughly
1 onion chopped and diced
1 yellow pepper diced
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove  crushed
Mixed herbs


Method:

1. Add a little olive oil into a saucepan and cook the garlic and onion on a low heat until transluscent. Add the courgettes and yellow pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring occassionally. Add the chopped tomatoes and mixed herbs. Turn down the heat to medium until cooked and then set to one side.

2. Meanwhile heat some oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add onion and garlic cooking until transluscent and soft. Put in a bowl and set aside.


3. Cook the potatoes and butternut in a large saucepan for roughly 20 minutes until cooked. Mash the vegetables and add a little butter. Add the onion and garlic mixture, mixed herbs and the mixed beans to combine. Wait to cool and put into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

4. When you are ready to make the patties combine the butternut and potato mixture in your hands and form into patties using a little flour. ( This is a bit messy so be warned!) Add the sesame seeds and place into a greased lined tray.  Preheat the oven to 200.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Serve with the warmed ratatouille, works well with pasta. Serve immediately.

Pesto Orzo

So last night I experimented with orzo. I have never tried it before and was quite surprised.  Its a rice shaped pasta and is apparently really good in risotto so I shall be trying that next.

So here is the recipe!


Pesto Orzo Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
Breadcrumbs
1 egg
Half a packet of orzo
Half a jar of pesto roughly 200g ( I find that homemade is better but it is up to you)
Cherry tomatoes cut and quartered
Sprinkling of cashew nuts (optional)


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160. Meanwhile line a baking tray with foil and lightly spray. Coat both chicken breasts in beaten egg and then into a bowl of breadcrumbs. Repeat this again, so that all egg is used up! Then place onto the tray and put into the oven as these will take about 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breast.

2. Meanwhile fill a saucepan with water and add a little oil. Bring it to the boil and add the orzo. Cook the orzo according to the packet instructions. Drain orzo into a colander and rinse in warm water draining away excess water to get rid of the extra starch.

3. Place the drained orzo back into the saucepan. Add the pesto, tomatoes and walnuts stirring continuously until orzo is completely covered in the pesto. Take off the heat once the tomatoes start to cook. Serve with the breadcrumbed chicken and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped basil and parmesan.

Tomato Bruschetta

I really fell in love with this whilst I was in Zambia. Funny really as I am not keen on raw tomatoes but when you do them like this tastes so good. You forget they are raw tomatoes.

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes chopped roughly
1 clove of garlic crushed finely
Splash of olive oil
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil chopped roughly
Red onion chopped finely ( if no red onion white onion is also fine but it is less sweet)
Baguette chopped into slices


Method:

1. Combine the chopped tomatoes,  garlic, basil red onion together. Then add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You will need about a tablespoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile pour a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped baguette pieces. Turn after a couple of minutes until golden brown. Scoop the tomato mix onto the bread and serve immediately! Enjoy. Alternatively if you have a griddle pan, you could chargrill the bread.

Chocolate Muffin Oranges

Chocolate Muffin Oranges Serves 11
Ingredients:
4 large oranges cut in half and fleshy parts removed
3 small oranges cut in half and fleshy parts removed
Chocolate Muffin ready mixture
Method
1. Cut oranges in half and remove the fleshy parts and put them into a separate bowl.
2. Follow instructions for chocolate muffin mixture according to their directions.
3. Spoon mixture into one half of the orange and place the orange back together to make a whole. Wrap tightly in tin foil. Repeat with the other orange halves.
4. Place oranges on the coals for about 30 minutes, or alternatively place in the oven. Check after 15 minutes to see if the mixture has cooked.
5. Serve immediately with custard or cream.

Lentil, mixed bean, potato and butternut squash curry with rice (serves 7 people plus)
Ingredients:
1 onion roughly chopped and diced
1 tin of mixed beans
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 small butternut squash peeled and roughly chopped
2 small packets or a jar of creamy curry sauce
400g lentils (can also be tinned)
7 small potatoes peeled and diced into small pieces
Handful of cashew nuts (optional)
Handful of green beans topped and tailed and cut in half
Tablespoon of olive oil
3 cups of rice washed thoroughly to take away the starch
Method:
1. Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok and make sure it is nice and hot. Add in the garlic and onion stirring occasionally till translucent.
2. Add the lentils stirring all the time. If not using tinned lentils make sure you soak lentils first ideally overnight and drain any remaining water away.
3. Meanwhile boil a pan of salted water and add the butternut squash and potato and wait for it to come to the boil. Once it has come to the boil, turn down the heat a little, and cook until vegetables are soft which you can check with a knife.
4. Add the drained mixed beans to the wok and stir occasionally, the heat can now be turned down quite low.
5. Once the potatoes and butternut squash are cooked drain into a colander and add to the wok. Stir this mix carefully into the lentils so as not to break up the potatoes and butternut. Toss in the beans and stir. Add water if needs be.
6. Add some more water to the potato pan and then add 3 cups of rice making sure first that the rice has been rinsed. Bring to the boil adding a pinch of salt. Once it has come to the boil, turn heat down, and continue to cook until all water has disappeared.
7. Add curry sauce and cashews about 5-10 minutes before rice has finished cooking. Stir through, to combine all the vegetables adding a little water, if you think the mixture is too dry and may stick. Serve immediately with bread if desired.