Poorly chicken

[AndyRoo]

Well, as there are a few of us who seem to enjoy cooking and sharing recipes, I thought I'd start this little thread. I suppose it could get a little messy, sorry about that. Maybe one of the Mods/Admin team could at least make it a sticky post, even if it can't be a sub-section somewhere?

I thought I'd start with one of my own recipes:

Spinach and Paneer Curry (never really sure what constitutes 'portion size', but I would say this makes two extra large portions, or 3 - 4 smaller portions)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ghee (or vegetable oil)
• 200g Paneer (or more if you fancy)
• 500g Natural yogurt
• 6 Tomatoes (medium sized)
• 250g Spinach
• 1” piece of ginger
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 6 Cardamom pods
• 1 white onion (medium sized)
• 1.5 tablespoons of curry powder (you can use medium or hot if you like it spicy - but it's intended to be a mild, but aromatic dish)
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

You’ll find cooking easier if you do the following prep work first:

Put the yogurt into a bowl and mix in all the spices and salt. This will help prevent any clumps of dried spice in the final curry.

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving only the flesh. If you want to, you can 'caramelise' the tomatoes by baking them in a tray in the oven for 10 minutes until they start to blacken... this just gives them a slightly sweeter flavour, but isn't really necessary if you don't have time - or just can't be bothered.

Peel the garlic and the ginger and chop the onion. In a food blender, along with the tomatoes, puree them all together and set aside in a bowl.

Blanche the spinach with hot water and then puree the leaves in a food blender and set aside.

'Fry' the paneer in a tablespoon of vegetable oil until slightly browned on both sides. Once browned, dice the paneer into roughly 1cm squared cubes and set aside.

Method

 1.    In a large wok or saucepan, add the ghee over a low heat, and add the cardamom pods to the melted oil. Once these have turned slightly brown and the oil has infused with the flavour, take the pods out and bin them.

2.   Add the paneer, and the onion/tomato/ginger/garlic puree simmer on a medium – high heat for 5 minutes - or until it starts to dry out and thicken slightly.

3.    Add the spinach and continue to cook for another 2 – 3 minutes.

4.    Lastly, add the yogurt/spice mix and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

5.    Serve up with some rice.

[ajm200]

Anyone interested in dairy-free recipes?

Edited January 19, 2019 by ajm200

[AndyRoo]

1 hour ago, ajm200 said:

Anyone interested in dairy-free recipes?

I'm happy to hear some. I'm a veggie, so anything sans-meat is good for me. Provided it doesn't have any mushrooms in it. I'm allergic to them.

[ajm200]

I asked as most of my recipes don’t contain milk or soya.   Will make sure I post a few veggie recipes too 

[Patricia W]

I’m an omnivore.  Happy to be veggie, but I’m afraid vegan is a step too far for me.  Never found anything I really liked.  But I’m very willing to be converted!  Recipes, please. 

[AndyRoo]

Here's my shortbread recipe. Instead of cooking it in a tray and then cutting it into fingers, I use cookie cutters and make them as biscuits.

Ingredients

• 280g plain flour
• 40g cornflour
• 20g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 225g unsalted butter
• 115g caster sugar
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Cold water

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 150c.
2. In a food processor - using a K beater - mix together all ingredients except the water until you have breadcrumbs.
3. Add cold water a little at a time until you have a dough.
4. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to biscuit thickness, and cut out biscuit shapes.
5. Put biscuits on to a greased baking tray and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake for 5 - 7 minutes until cooked. Keep an eye on them so they don't catch and burn. They'll keep cooking for a little while once taken out of the oven anyway.
7. Leave to cool.
8. Stuff your face with them!!

Edited January 19, 2019 by AndyRoo

[soapdragon]

I have a butternut squash eyeing me every time I walk past the veggie rack. Tomorrow I will fry off an onion with chopped ginger and some chopped chili then add the chunked squash and then, when softened, add stock and cook till tender. Then I'll blitz with enough peanut butter to make a soupy consistency. Sorry, no quantities as I am a 'bung it' cook! 

[AndyRoo]

And here's my recipe for quick and easy oatmeal and banana 'breakfast' cookies. Sorry, @Patricia W - these are vegan friendly. lol

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 medium sized, ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 - 1 cup 'filling': chocolate chips / raisins / cranberries (or whatever you want really - though I'd suggest something not too dry)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the honey and vanilla essence.
3. Add the oats (I bash them in a bag with a rolling pin first so they're smaller).
4. Leave the mix to stand for 15 - 20 minutes so that the moisture from the bananas soaks into the oats to make the mix less dry.
5. Add the filling and mix in.
6. Spoon enough mix to make a biscuit size cookie and flatten into shape onto a greased tray.
7. Bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes until they're browning on the outside.
8. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
9. Stuff your face with them!!

They should come out slightly crisp on the outside, but chewy in the middle.

[Patricia W]

Aahhh! Sweet vegan is fine.  It’s the savoury vegan I struggle with. 

[Daphne]

I rather like the sound of the biscuits as I readily have the ingredients and am about to acquire houseguests; easy sweet treats will be the order of the day as my niece can help make them.  My Mum used to make delicious shortbread, her recipe involves ground rice, which probably isn't so easy to get nowadays.  Unfortunately the recipe is elsewhere, but when I find it, if I find it, I will upload it here.

Your final instruction is my kind of cooking!

 

[AndyRoo]

15 minutes ago, Patricia W said:

Aahhh! Sweet vegan is fine.  It’s the savoury vegan I struggle with. 

I realised I'd actually make a mistake in the recipe: honey is optional (obviously, otherwise it wouldn't be vegan! 🤦‍♂️) depending on how sweet you like them! And it also should be a 1/4 cup honey, not a third! Pants! lol

It actually tastes quite delicious on its own. I sometimes mis it with yogurt and eat it as is!

[ajm200]

I could happily be vegetarian but hubby would never give up meat.  Couldn’t be vegan.  Dairy and soya free is hard enough to maintain but a necessity as my stomach won’t tolerate them despite my regular craving for hot buttered toast

38 minutes ago, AndyRoo said:

And here's my recipe for quick and easy oatmeal and banana 'breakfast' cookies. Sorry, @Patricia W - these are vegan friendly. lol

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 medium sized, ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 - 1 cup 'filling': chocolate chips / raisins / cranberries (or whatever you want really - though I'd suggest something not too dry)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c.
2. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the honey and vanilla essence.
3. Add the oats (I bash them in a bag with a rolling pin first so they're smaller).
4. Leave the mix to stand for 15 - 20 minutes so that the moisture from the bananas soaks into the oats to make the mix less dry.
5. Add the filling and mix in.
6. Spoon enough mix to make a biscuit size cookie and flatten into shape onto a greased tray.
7. Bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes until they're browning on the outside.
8. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.
9. Stuff your face with them!!

They should come out slightly crisp on the outside, but chewy in the middle.

Something sweet and cake like that I can eat.  Thank you 😊.   

[AndyRoo]

Just now, ajm200 said:

I could happily be vegetarian but hubby would never give up meat.  Couldn’t be vegan.  Dairy and soya free is hard enough to maintain but a necessity as my stomach won’t tolerate them despite my regular craving for hot buttered toast

I'm almost vegan. I eat cheese every now and then (vegan cheese is absolutely foul, so don't bother); I use butter sometimes when I bake. I also occasionally have honey, although I tend to use agave or maple syrup instead, and obviously I eat eggs - but that's because we have our own hens and I know they're well kept. I don't drink milk, but have almond milk instead.

I won't wear leather, and I refuse to use any products that have been animal tested or have fur used in them.

Basically I try to be as ethical as I can. But I appreciate farming practises for cheese is not brilliant!

[ajm200]

Really quick and easy bread

I miss popping to the shop when the kids suddenly decide they’d like crusty bread for lunch.  Shop bread is no-go for me.

This recipe is quick and works.  Leaving it to prove a little longer than suggested is better but not essential.   

https://www.mymundaneandmiraculouslife.com/foodie-fridays-easy-peesy-french-bread/

[ajm200]

Found some old cake and fudge recipes

 

 

 

 

 

[ajm200]

 

[ajm200]

Lemon meringue pie 

 

 

[ajm200]

 

 

[ajm200]

 

Sorry for all the separate posts but the forum wouldn’t let me post a list of links from my phone easily 

[ajm200]

The boiled fruit cake recipe

 

[SeramaSilly]

21 hours ago, AndyRoo said:

I'm almost vegan. I eat cheese every now and then (vegan cheese is absolutely foul, so don't bother); I use butter sometimes when I bake. I also occasionally have honey, although I tend to use agave or maple syrup instead, and obviously I eat eggs - but that's because we have our own hens and I know they're well kept. I don't drink milk, but have almond milk instead.

I won't wear leather, and I refuse to use any products that have been animal tested or have fur used in them.

Basically I try to be as ethical as I can. But I appreciate farming practises for cheese is not brilliant!

I'm veggie  Andy and would love to become vegan too but the cheese issue stops me also.  On Jamie (Oliver) and Jimmy's Friday night feast they recently had Romesh Ranganathen on who is vegan.  He was saying how much he misses veggie lasagne as he has never found a vegan cheese which tastes any good but they found one and made a delicious lasagne but of course they didn't say what the vegan cheese was!! 🙄

[mullethunter]

The New Covent Garden soup of the month is vegan chilli - it’s delicious.

[Patricia W]

Just made a really tasty penne cheese bake with butternut squash as DD and family descended and I needed to use that butternut Squash.  Just cut butternut squash into small cubes, cooked for 10 mins, the added to the cooked penne.  Covered with cheese sauce, scattered more cheese on top. Put a bit of red pepper on top to stop it looking anaemic and put in the oven for 45 mins.  Scattered chopped fresh sage on top and served with a salad.  Everybody loved it so I’ll be doing it again. 

Thanks for all those recipes. Especially the Chocolate Mug Cake! 

[AndyRoo]

This is my recipe for 'Green and Blue Soup'. If you're wondering where the name comes from, it's just a mix of green veg. and blue cheese.

When I make this, I always make a *huge* amount of it, so that I can have it for several meals. It'll easily make 4 decent portions (when served with bread).

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1.5 litres of vegetable stock.
• 250g spinach
• 200g kale
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 10g chives
• 220g blue cheese (or more or less, depending on how strong you like the flavour - and how intense the cheese is)
• sea salt and pepper (to season)

Method:

1. Break up the broccoli and peel the garlic clove and bake both in the oven until they brown. (This gives both a sweeter flavour than normal.)
2. Mix up the stock and add to a large pan.
3. Once the stock is boiling, throw in all the other ingredients and cook until soft - including the browned broccoli/garlic.
4. Once soft, blend it all together until smooth.
5. Add the cheese and blend again until smooth.
6. Season with S&P to taste.
7. Serve with crusty bread, and stuff your face!

[Blackrocksrock]

On 1/19/2019 at 6:11 PM, ajm200 said:

Anyone interested in dairy-free recipes?

Me please although I am using unsweetened Soya milk.