Pasta and Pesto with Bacon and Broad Beans
The normal vegetable box saga has been replaced with the freezer saga. We’re moving next week and therefore need to use up the contents of the freezer. It’s been ok so far, I’m not sure how we’re going to get through the never-ending supply of bacon but that should make next week interesting.
Tonight, we ticked two and a half boxes by using up some pesto, some bacon and a few broad beans. It was a simple but tasty meal.
Sausages and Mash
Today it was really cold on the way home. Which meant that we had very little choice other than to have sausages and mash for dinner. So Cumberland sausages with mustardy mash and onion and red wine gravy it was. We had winter greens and brocolli (not pictured) too. The gravy was fruity (from the wine) and oniony (from the onions) which went well with the fully flavoured sausages and seasoned mash.
On a side note, I think the picture is one of the best on the site so far.
Lamb Kofta Sandwich
I was really lucky again this evening – arriving home to the smell of something delicious cooking. Kerri had made lamb koftas, fried halloumi and aubergine. I put this all into a toasted pita bread along with some lettuce and tomato to make a sandwich. It was really tasty and just what I needed. The lamb koftas were a good improvement on those that we were attempting to make several months ago (pre-Dinner Diary days).
My Pie!
Kerri was at home today and when I got back from work she had cooked a pie. Not just any pie, it said “Stephen’s Pie” in letters on the crust. It was brilliant. And not only did it look brilliant, it tasted brilliant too. Because I’m nice, I let Kerri have some of my pie. It was a chicken, leek and mushroom pie. We ate it with mustardy mash, winter greens and brocolli. And some gravy that I’d made, but I didn’t need much of it as the pie was so good.
Bacon and Leek Gratin
We had four leeks to use up and, having discussed various things to do with them, decided on a sort-of gratin. It contained leeks, lardons, potatoes, cheese, creme fraiche, milk, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
It was really good, we had it with winter greens and I think we’ll have it again very soon.
Cheese
As is quite usual for a Friday, Stephen and I both had big lunches. Unusually, there was a food fair near our office at which there was a good selection of cheeses. We bought Godminster Cheddar and Vacherin Mont d’Or. So, that’s what we had to eat this evening, with a selection of crackers and bread. And wine.
Lentils and Pizza Toast…
…but not together, obviously.
Stephen had the lentilly thing because they’re just too hippy for me, I had the pizza toast because, well…any excuse really 🙂 Pizza toast was just half a cook-at-home ciabatta loaf with cheese and the last of the birthday chorizo. As tasty as ever. Can’t remember what Stephen did to the lentils but I think they were green ones and there were some curryish spices in there with spinach.
Beef Burgundy
I cooked this on Monday night, we were supposed to eat it last night but we went out and there was food there. We had it for lunch today, it wasn’t bad as a first attempt but needs some more thought. This is the recipe I followed:
Burgundy Beef
1 pack braising steak
Butter
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
100g lightly smoked bacon lardons
Flour
1/2 bottle red wine
2 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and chopped
100g button mushrooms
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Pat the beef dry on kitchen paper and cut into chunky pieces. Melt half the butter and half the oil in a large frying pan and fry a handful of the beef for 3-4 minutes, stirring until the meat is thoroughly browned. Drain with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large casserole dish. Fry the remaining meat in small batches, adding a little more oil, as necessary. Transfer to the casserole dish.
Add the onions and remaining oil to the pan and fry gently for 5 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and bacon and fry for a further 2 minutes then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually pour the wine into the frying pan and bring almost to the boil, stirring often. Add the anchovy fillets and pour over the meat. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile fry the mushrooms in the remaining butter until softened. Add to the casserole dish with any pan juices and the parsley. Season and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with extra parsley.
I didn’t cook it in the oven, I left it on the hob. I also just threw in the mushrooms at the same time as the wine.
If there is a next time, I think more seasoning, more herbs, more bacon and more mushrooms.
So, the quest for the perfect beef casserole continues.
NOT Roasted Sweet Potato, Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes and Chorizo
Tonight, I attemped to cook roasted sweet potato, roasted Jerusalem artichokes and chorizo. I washed the vegetables, peeled them, steamed them and put them into the oven to roast….then promptly forgot about them while I was making casserole for tomorrow night’s dinner. By the time I remembered them, they were stuck and dried out and beyond rescuing.
So, instead, I had the chorizo that was supposed to go with the sweet potato and artichokes, some hummus with celery and breadsticks and a consolotary beer. It wasn’t the gastronomic delight I was hoping for, but it filled a hole and, on the plus side, tomorrow night’s casserole smells brilliant (and Stephen isn’t home to catch me “testing it for seasoning”) 🙂
Roast Chicken
Legend has it that Stephen’s roast chicken is responsible for turning vegetarians into meat-eaters. I can well believe it.
I travelled two and a half hours across London this evening, when I arrived home I was greeted by the inviting smell of a roasting chicken. It was a Waitrose organic, lovingly salted 24 hours in advance by Stephen, and stuffed with lemon, garlic and thyme. He served it with roast potatoes, parsnips, sweet potato, Jerusalem artichokes and broad beans. There was, of course, gravy too.
It was a taste sensation, and I’m really glad I didn’t have any lunch today because it meant that I could eat loads 🙂
