Bacon, Potato and Onion Bake

Winter is definitely here and a very simple but comforting dish is Bacon, Potato and Onion Bake. I love this dish because it's another store cupboard fall back and easily assembled whilst you get on with other things. Try and use a cast iron or metal baking dish for this. It really makes a difference to the cooking time. No one likes raw potatoes!

6 Medium Potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced.
1 large White Onion, very finely sliced into rings.
200 grams of Strong Cheddar Cheese
400 mils of Milk or Milk and Cream mixed
Butter
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
8 Rashers of Smoked Bacon
Flat Leaf Parsley to finish.

Heat the Oven to 200 degrees. Liberally butter an 8 inch baking dish. Put a single layer of potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Put a quarter of the onion slices over the potato. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the some of the Cheddar over and repeat 3 or four times until everything is evenly layered.

 Pour over the milk and seal the dish tightly with a double layer of foil. Cook for approx 45 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Whilst this is cooking chop the bacon into thin squares, making sure you separate them out.

 When the potatoes are soft take off the foil and whack the oven up to 220 degrees. Sprinkle the bacon on top of the potato and cook for a further 15 minutes until the potatoes are golden and the bacon is crisp. Finish with a sprinkling of parsley.Serves four as a side dish or two as a big plate of comfort food!

Sheftalia (Cypriot Pork Sausages)

The one all you Greek food fans have been waiting for. I am using a recipe from the Limassol area of the island but there are many variations on this and a lot of them are a closely guarded secret within the family! Okay, I admit the method is not simple but the ingredients are and with bonfire night coming up it's perfect for eating outside. All your friends will be clamouring for the recipe.

500 gms Coarsely Minced Pork. Make sure it has some fat in it.
1 Onion, finely chopped
Medium bunch of Flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
300 - 400 gms Caul Fat


Before I give you the method, a word about Caul Fat. Caul Fat is the membrane that covers the stomach of a lamb or pig, and is used in this recipe to wrap the meat in. It is naturally fatty and bastes the sausages as they cook. We know it as the fat we use to wrap up Faggots. The Cypriots call it Panna. It is a bit of a pain to get hold of but any traditional butcher should be able to order it for you and it freezes well. Add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to a bowl of cold water and wash the caul. Drain it and make sure you squeeze out all the water. I prefer to use the 'thinner veined' areas because it gives a much more subtle taste. However if you are happy using it all then you won't need quite as much.

Put half the pork in a large bowl and season well. It's important to use cracked black pepper in this recipe for a more authentic taste. Add the remaining pork, onions, garlic, cinnamon and parsley and mix thoroughly. Season again and mix well. Put the caul fat on a board and stretch it out. Some cooks like to pre-cut squares but I tend to just work with it in thirds. Take a dessert spoon of the mixture and wrap the caul fat around it until it resembles a sausage. Don't be tempted to wrap it up as though you a using cling film. Less is more in this recipe. I know I'm being precise with the method but I was taught by an expert! This is what you should end up with.

If, like me you are a mad woman and happy to stand outside on Bonfire Night over a barbecue then that's how you should cook them. Put them on a medium heat and turn OFTEN. If you are not as foolhardy as me then grilling them is perfectly acceptable. Watch them carefully if you use this method. Finally you can use a griddle pan and cook then slowly over a gentle heat until they are cooked through.

Serve them in a hot Pitta bread with a salad of diced onion, cucumber, tomato and parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Utterly delicious.

Easy Tomato Soup

There are many recipes out there for Tomato Soup. You can spend hours skinning and deseeding tomatoes but this time of year our tomatoes taste of nothing. So unless you are prepared to pay a fortune for imported ones or have a secret stash in your greenhouse then use a good quality organic tinned variety. This recipe is a 'store cupboard' recipe and produces tasty and satisfying results.

1 Tin of Organic Chopped tomatoes
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Carrots, finely diced
1 large Potato, peeled and diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
Heaped tsp Celery Salt
Heaped tsp Dried Basil
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil.
3/4 Litre Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Put the onion, red pepper, carrots and potato in a large pan. Sweat on a medium heat until soft. Do not brown them. Add the celery salt, basil, salt, pepper and cook for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 40 minutes on a low heat or until the carrot is soft.

Blend until smooth. Taste the soup and add more seasoning if needed. You can serve this with croutons, bacon bits or just a swirl of cream. Simple but effective. Serves 4.

Crispy Fried Onions

These are more difficult to cook than they look but a little patience on your part goes a long way. Make sure you stand over them or they will burn. Use a heavy based pan. The sweet crispy taste is well worth the effort you put in.

3 Medium Onions
Oil for frying.

Cut each onion in half, length ways, then slice it evenly, cross ways, into thin slices. Add enough oil to generously cover the base of the pan. Fry the onions over a high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown. Turn the heat down to medium and stir fry for about another 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and fry for another couple of minutes until the onions are a deep reddish brown. Drain the onions into a sieve and and shake as much oil from them as possible. Tip onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Tip onto another paper lined plate and leave to go completely cold. Sprinkle on Soups or Stews to give added flavour and depth. 

Butternut Squash and Chilli Soup with Crispy Fried Onions.

I have a love hate relationship with squashes of all varieties. I love the  beautiful autumnal colours and hate the lack of flavour.With a little effort on your part, this is easy to resolve. I tend to use chilli instead of coriander and cumin because it's a more subtle flavour. You can add toppings to finish your soup. Cream, Bacon or Onions or just serve with a robust garlic bread.

2 Medium Butternut Squash
2 Red Onions
6-8 Cloves of Garlic, unpeeled.
3 Carrots
2 Whole Red Chilli's (1 if you are a wimp!)
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
3 Sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed and chopped.
1 litre Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Juice of 1 Large Orange
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil

Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Score the flesh with a sharp knife. Put the whole garlic cloves into the well of the squash. Halve the onions, Peel and halve the carrots. Put them all on a baking tray and drizzle with about 3 tbps of olive oil and 2 tbps of balsamic vinegar. Season well. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and coloured slightly. Note after about 20 minutes you will probably have to remove the chili and onion to avoid overdoing them.

 Remove the squash from it's skin and roughly chop the other cooked veg. Add this to the stock and bring to the boil. When the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, squeeze the flesh into the pot and add the rosemary. Simmer for about 40 minutes and blend in a liquidiser or with a hand held blender until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. Finally add the orange juice, which sweetens and lifts the whole soup. Serve with Crispy Fried Onions. The recipe is located under side dishes. Serves 4 to 6 depending on your appetite!

Kefthedis - Pork Meatballs

I was taught how to make this dish by my Cypriot landlady in Limassol. Her name was Stella and she firmly tucked me under her wing and taught me to cook the 'Cypriot Way'. You can serve these hot with a tomato sauce or cold with a Greek Salad and an ice cold glass of white wine. They are labour intensive but well worth it and when I make them then the family fight over them. The key to success in this recipe is to make sure everything is finely minced or chopped.

500 gms  Finely Minced Pork. (Make sure it has some fat in it or the meatballs will be dry.)
1 large Onion , very finely chopped.
1 Large Potato
Medium Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped.
Small bunch of Mint, finely chopped.
2 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper - be generous.
2 Egg Yolks
Juice and Zest of 1 lemon
Vegetable Oil for Frying

Take a large bowl. Peel the potato and grate it. Squeeze all the water out and put the potato, lemon juice and zest into the bowl. (This will stop the potato turning brown.) The picture below shows you the grate size you will need.

Add the minced pork, then mix with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the garlic, onion, herbs and egg yolks. Mix thoroughly and season again until everything is evenly combined. At this stage you can cover the bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight and use the mixture the next day. Use a tablespoon to mould meatballs about 1 inch in size. Heat enough oil to cover the meatballs in a heavy based pan. I usually only make these when I have some 'old' but usable frying oil because you cannot reuse the oil after making these. A cube of bread should sizzle when added to the oil. You are now ready to fry. Fry the meatballs in two batches. When the first batch of meatballs float to the surface, turn the heat down by a third and using a slotted spoon, gently turn them over. They should be a deep golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper and remove any bits left in the oil with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the second batch. It is worth standing over these and watching them carefully because bitter experience has taught me that they can burn easily.

Now sit back and watch your family fight over them!

Feta, Cucumber and Mint Dip

I love this and could eat it everyday. This is a twist on the Greek dish Tsatsiki. The yoghurt you use is important, make sure it's good quality and NOT fat free. Also use an extra virgin olive oil  and a decent Feta. The more care you take with your ingredients, the better it will taste.

500 gms Greek Yoghurt
Two thirds of a Cucumber
2 cloves of Garlic, crushed
100 gms Feta Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Good handful Mint leaves, finely chopped.
Handful of Flat leaf Parsley, finely chopped.

Put the yoghurt in a large bowl. Mix 2 tbsps olive oil into the yoghurt. Peel the cucumber and remove the seeds. Cut into small chunks and add to the bowl. Crumble the feta into the bowl . Add the herbs and garlic and combine until everything is evenly mixed. Put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to let the flavours mingle. Just before serving, finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley

This simple dish can be served as a side dish with a hot Chilli or as a filling in a jacket potato or with hot pitta bread as a dip.

Sticky Pork Rice

This is a very versatile recipe. I usually make it when we have lots of veg to use up. I've set out a basic recipe but you can really use anything you want. My daughter usually has the veggie version of this, sans Pork! 

500 gms Minced Pork
300 gms Rice
1 Red, Yellow and Green Pepper, diced.
1 Large Red Onion, sliced.
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed.
150 gms Chestnut Mushrooms
2 Red Chillies chopped and seeds left in.
2 Leeks, finely sliced
Bunch of Spring Onions, finely chopped
Medium bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped.
50 gms frozen Petit Pois
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Juice and zest of 1 Lime
Heaped tsp dried Coriander
2 good tbsps Tomato Ketchup
2 tbsps Worcestershire Sauce.
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil

 There are three stages to this recipe.

 1.COOK

Put the rice on and cook until sticky, drain well and put aside. Take the peppers, leeks,  red onions and garlic. Put a little vegetable oil in a pan and cook them gently until they are soft but not browned. Remove and set aside. Turn the heat up and add the mushrooms, browning slightly before putting aside with the vegetables. Let the pan get hot and cook the pork over a high heat, stirring frequently and remember pork loves salt! When browned add sea salt, cracked black pepper, worcs sauce, coriander and ketchup. This should coat the pork and make it sticky.

2. ASSEMBLE

Take the pan of minced pork off the heat. Add the rice and season again to your taste. Add the veg, mushrooms and peas. Ensure everything is mixed together evenly.

3. FINISH

Add the lime juice and zest. Mix in the parsley and the spring onions. Finally add a good glug of olive oil and serve. This can be eaten hot or cold and serves 4 to 6 people. It freezes well. Serve with a tomato salad.

Lime and Chilli Prawns

 

 200 gms  Cooked King Prawns
4 Spring Onions very finely sliced
Good handful of Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped.
Handful of Coriander, chopped.
Half a Red Pepper, finely diced.
Half a Yellow Pepper, finely diced
1 Red Chilli, seeds removed very finely chopped.
1 Garlic Glove, crushed
Juice and Zest of a Lime - if it's small use two.
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Good quality sea salt such as Cornish sea salt.
Cracked Black Pepper.


 You have done the hard part of this in the preparation of the ingredients. Whisk the olive oil with the lime juice and zest. Add salt and black pepper to your taste. Put the herbs, peppers.garlic and onion into the dressing and fold in the prawns. Leave for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to amalgamate the flavours. If you want to prep this a couple of hours ahead then don't put the dressing on until the  last 15 to 30 minutes so as not to pickle everything. Cooks tip - Always use good quality salt and pepper. Refined table salt is awful. Crack your pepper in a pestle and mortar rather than grinding.