Category: cooking
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Craigo’s Bubble And Squeak
Looking for a way to use yesterday’s fare?
How about some ‘bubble n squeak’ for brekkie?
Simply
Add meat and vegetables to a pan and drizzle with sesame oil. Add some pine nuts, salt and pepper and heat everything through. While it is cooking, add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and crack in an egg.
Serve hot and with some Branston Pickle.
Fish on,
Craigo
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How To Prepare Abalone
Abalone are considered a delicacy world-wide and for good reason. The bit we eat is the foot that they anchor onto the seabed with.
Preparing them may seem hard at first but it really is quite straight forward and worth the effort. You also get some ‘Mother of Pearl’ at the end of the process!
Source: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=203608Preparation
Here is how I go about preparing abalone meat.
I use a spoon to prise the foot out slightly.
Then I use my fingers to pull the foot off the shell, pinching it where the digestive track meets the foot. This way the tract stays behind.
Then I trim the curled edges off and slice the foot into thin horizontal slices.
Now comes the fun part. Cover the slices with cling film or baking paper and bash them.
Cooking
My favourite way of cooking them is a quick pan fry either as is or coated in flour or breadcrumbs.
Here I have cooked them with some brocolini in sesame oil and garlic. At the end I mix in oyster sauce and serve with rice.
Enjoy,
PK
If you liked this post you might like these too. 🙂
Asian cusine:
Using stock:
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Super Easy San Choy Bow
San Choy Bow is an asian fusion dish with a visual and taste wow factor that belies its simplicity. It is light and healthy to boot.
I bet you won’t believe how quick it is to make. 🙂
Simply
Finely slice your favourite vegetables to get that light but crunchy texture. Prepare several large lettuce leaves per person.
Just look at the colours!
Brown about 500g of mince (serves ~4), pork, chicken and beef all work well, in a good slug of sesame oil. Then mix in 1/4 cup of oyster sauce. Continue to gently stir until the mince is cooked.
That’s it. Done!
Serving
Spoon warm mince and rice into the lettuce leaves, top with vegetables and generously sprinkle with sesame seeds.
You can even make fancy bite sized servings.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more asian fusion and pork posts:
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PK Makes Rick Stein’s Mint And Oregano Meatballs
I have to share with you a secret about meatballs. They are as fun to make as they are delicious to eat. 🙂
The meatball recipe from Rick Stein’s book ‘From Venice To Istanbul’ will have you grinning but there is a downside. You will find yourself turning your nose up to the store bought version. 🙂
Steps
- Making the meatballs
- Making the sauce
- Frying the meatballs
- Serving
Equipment
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 fry pan
- 1 sauce pan
Ingredients
- Meatballs
- 500g beef mince
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 handful mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin, ground (my addition)
- 1 brown onion, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 50ml olive oil
- 30ml dry white wine
- 1 tsp table salt
- Black peppercorns, ground (to taste)
- Plain flour (enough for coating the meatballs)
- Extra olive oil for shallow frying
- Sauce
- 60ml olive oil
- 6 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Making the meatballs
In the mixing bowl use your hands to mix the:
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- 500g beef
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- The beaten egg
- 1 handful mint leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 brown onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 50ml olive oil
- 30ml dry white wine
- 1 tsp table salt
- Black peppercorns
Roll the meat mix into balls, then slightly flatten each one prior to dusting it in flour.
Frying the meatballs
Add enough oil to your fry pan to shallow fry the meat balls, in batches, for 4 minutes per side.
Making the sauce
Warm the 60ml of olive oil in your saucepan.
Add the:
- 6 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick sauce. Then add the meatballs to the sauce pan and cook until everything is warmed through.
Serving
I simply added some coriander leaves and served warm as a starter.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more beef dishes and Rick Stein recipes:
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Easy Egg And Bacon Slice
You will love this tasty and easy to prepare egg and bacon slice. Meals like this are great when you are short of time and or low on ingredients.
Also doesn’t everyone, real men included, love a good egg slice? 🙂
Simply
Whisk about 4 eggs in a bowl. Then add a generous splash of milk, a handful of chopped bacon, a handful of grated cheese and….
those old veggies at the back of the fridge.
Grease the right sized oven proof dish with butter and pour the egg mix in. Add some more cheese and tomatoes on top.
Then cook, in a preheated oven, at 180c for about 20 minutes. I like to grill it for the last few minutes to get that golden brown look.
Serving
Why should simple food be boring? Wow your guests, or you work mates the next day, with some basil as a garnish and some spicy sauce!
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more easy to prep recipes and posts about egg:
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PK’s Slow Cooker Lamb Chops
I love this lamb chop stew! Not only is it super tasty but it is so simple to make. You simply brown the chops and then walk away. 🙂
Steps
- Browning the chops
- Slow cooking (~5 hrs)
- Serving
Equipment
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 fry pan
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 8 lamb chops
- A slug of olive oil
- A good slug of tomato paste
- One 400g can of diced tomatoes
- Water (half fill the tomato can)
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 brown onion, diced
- Mushrooms, a couple of handfuls
- Thyme and oregano, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Browning the chops
Brown the 8 chops (in batches) in some oil on medium heat.
Pop them and the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker on low heat.
Give everything a gentle stir.
Slow cooking (~5 hrs)
Cover and cook for around 5 hours. The meat should be falling of the bone.
Serving
There are a myriad of serving options. It pairs great with potatoes and crusty bread.
This stew freezes well and I take it to work for the perfect lunch with pasta or rice.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a few slow cooker and lamb posts I thought you might:
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Cheese: Asiago
Asiago is an semi-firm cow cheese from northern Italy. It has a mild but addictive taste. It is great for salads, sandwiches and pastas where you don’t need a cheese with bite.
I love munching on it by itself and find myself going to the fridge for a slice more often than I should.
Milk
Cow
Origin
Italy
Aged
Yes, often 3 months.
Aroma
Milky and mild. You can tell it is a cow cheese.
Taste
Milky and not particularly salty.
Texture
Young it is semi-firm and it becomes crumbly with age.
Look
Yellow interior with visible openness.
Serving
I love it as a table cheese and in toasted sandwiches. Asiago melts well so it is very versatile.
Manufacturing and Salting Method
Handmade/traditional cheese making methods are used. The curds are partially cooked, then pressed into moulds, dry salted and finally brine salted prior to a short ageing process.
Wine
Your favourite red or white will go well. I like to pair it with a New Zealand or South Australian Sauvignon Blanc.
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Pasta: Rigatoni
Rigatoni, Italian for long lined shapes, are tubular in shape and hold onto pasta sauce perfectly just like their thinner cousins, Penne.
It is primarily sold dried (pasta secca) and is available everywhere.
Here I have bathed it in a cheese and water cream:
And here it is with a beef ragu:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pasta: Fettuccine
Fettuccine are long flat pasta shapes that are perfect for twisting around your fork, trapping sauce as you go. Their larger wider cousins Tagliatelle and Pappardelle are similar in length and use.
I like to make my own, using semolina and egg in my Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker.
Fettuccine is also perfect for lighter sauces showcasing eggs, cheese, nuts and vegetables.
My favourite way to prepare this pasta shape is Chicken Alfredo.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a couple more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Pancetta
Pancetta is a cured meat product made from the pork belly cut. It is produced in two forms, rolled or flat. Bacon can also be made from this cut so what is the difference between pancetta and bacon?
Bacon is salt cured (by brining) and then smoked to preserve it. Pancetta is cured using salt, pepper and sugar and then hung to dry. If it is smoked it is only lightly done and for flavour only.
Preserving meat via various curing techniques was the only way before refrigeration to extend the times of year that meat was available.
It is perfect in pasta dishes, pizza, salads, tasting plates and the list goes on. You just need to remove the rind and cut it to size. It is chewier than bacon and although salty, you can taste the herbs and spices the manufacturer used. There are some with a hefty pepper and chilli punch.
Pancetta is a must have Italian cooking ingredient and as such I have started making my own using a ‘River Cottage‘ recipe. It is early days but I will post how it turns out soon though. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more posts about salumi and Italian cusine:
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