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Wensleydale Stuffed Chicken

stuffed chicken Wensleydale Stuffed Chicken

Credit Jacqui Spruce for this one. Gorgeous and… the chicken is good too!

Ingredients for 6 people

Preheat the oven to 200°c (or if you were planning to serve with baked potatoes place the chicken in the oven 40 minutes before the end of the cooking time)
6 Chicken breast fillets
6 thick slices of Wensleydale cheese
20 cherry tomatoes cut in half
250g mushrooms cut in half
100g black olives cut in half
6 tsp of basil pesto
½ glass white wine
Salt and pepper

Cooking Method:

  1. Place a large piece of kitchen foil on a baking tray.  Foil needs to be twice as long as the tray as you will be wrapping the chicken up in a foil parcel to cook.
  2. Slice each chicken breast in half lengthways, ensuring that you do not go all the way through.  You want to make a pocket for cheese to sit in.
  3. Place the cheese inside the chicken and sit the chicken on the baking tray.  Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Smear each chicken breast with 1 tsp of Pesto.
  5. Sprinkle the mushrooms, tomatoes and olives over and around the chicken and pour the white wine gently around the chicken.
  6. Wrap the chicken up in the foil making a parcel and ensuring that none of the liquid can escape during cooking.
  7. Place in the oven for 40 minutes.
  8. Put the chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and olives on a plate and pour over some of the cooking liquid as a light sauce.
  9. Serve with baked potatoes, a dressed green salad and some lightly steamed green beans.

Beef Stroganoff

A classic stroganoff is made with button mushrooms, but in this case shitake mushrooms add a delicious depth of flavour. Serves 6 people and only takes 30 minutes.

beef stroganoff Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

  • 650g fillet steak strips
  • 150g shitake mushrooms, destalked and finely sliced
  • 2 thinly sliced onions
  • 426ml soured cream
  • 3 tablespoons cognac
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 50g Butter
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms finely sliced
  • Pinch paprika
  • Juice 1/2 lemon

Method

  1. Using a large, heavy bottomed saucepan on a high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the oil and when it’s nice and hot put half the meat into the pan. Quickly stir-fry until the meat is lightly browned on the outside but still pink in the middle. Remove to a separate bowl and do the same with the other half of the meat.
  2. Remove the second batch of cooked meat together with it’s juices, bring the heat down and melt the butter in the saucepan. Then gently fry the onions until soft.
  3. Add in the mushrooms and fry them quickly with the onions until tender. Then put the meat in with it’s juices and pour over the cognac. Carefully set the pan alight, shaking the contents of the pan until the alcohol has burnt away. Now stir in the soured cream and as it becomes hot, mix in the lemon juice. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and sprinkle over a little paprika.
  4. Serve immediately with white rice and chopped parsley.

Recipe taken from Waitrose.com

Pork Valentine au Poivre

valentineporkaupoivre Pork Valentine au Poivre

Ingredients

  • 2 heart shaped pork steaks
  • 50g chopped shallots
  • 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons brandy
  • 300ml single cream

Method

  1. Using a pestle and mortar crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds separately . Crush until cracked only but don’t allow to become powder. Season the pork steaks to taste with the salt and coat in the crushed spices.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot and cook the pork steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then take out of the pan and set to one side to rest.
  3. Using the same pan,  add the chopped shallots and cook over a moderate heat until soft for about two minutes.
  4. Add the brandy and the mustard.
  5. Finally, pour in the cream and bring to the boil, reducing then to a simmer and seasoning to taste.
  6. Return the steaks back into the pan for around a  minute to just warm through. Remove the steaks and heat the sauce  quickly on a high heat for about thirty seconds.
  7. Serve the steaks on a plate with the sauce poured over together with any vegetables of the season.

Recipe taken from a concept by Cookitsimply.com

Oxtail Soup

Here’s a great winter favourite from a very under rated cut of meat that often goes unnoticed. Traditionally classed as offal the oxtail has a fine flavour and a variety of uses:


Oxtail Oxtail Soup

Ingredients

  • 1¼ kg oxtail , jointed
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large carrot , roughly chopped
  • 1 turnip, roughly chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
  • 1 large onion , roughly chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a few sprigs thyme
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • 300ml red wine
  • 1.2l beef stock
  • 2 tbsp butter , softened
  • a handful flat-leaf parsley,  leaves chopped

Method

  1. Take the oxtail pieces trim excess fat . In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp of  flour with salt and pepper. Take half the oil and heat until hot in a large, heavy-based pan . Take the seasoned flour and coat the oxtail pieces, shaking off the excess. Fry for 2-21/2 minutes on each side until evenly browned and remove from the pan.
  2. Put the remaining oil to the pan together with the vegetables, herbs and peppercorns. Cook and soften for 4-5 minutes. Stir in tomato purée and what’s left of the seasoned flour, and add a little more oil if necessary. Keep stirring for another minute or two.
  3. Add the red wine and taking a wooden spoon, scrape the base of the pan . Bring to the boil for several minutes. Put the oxtail back in the pan and cover with the stock. Simmer and skim off any residue that rises to the surface. Partially cover the pan and cook slowly for about 3 hours until the oxtail is very tender and comes away from the bone easily. Take a pair of kitchen tongs and carefully move the oxtail pieces into a large bowl and leave for a while to cool slightly.
  4. Taking a fine sieve strain the cooking stock  into a clean pan, pushing down on the vegetables with the back of a heavy spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Remove the meat from the oxtail and shred it into small pieces. Thicken the stock by mixing the remaining two tablespoons of flour with the butter, then whisk into the stock as it simmers, a little at a time. Simmer for a further five minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then add the shredded oxtail to the pan to warm through. Garnish with loads of chopped parsley before serving.

Recipe from Olive Magazine 2009

Cumberland Sausage Casserole

    One from the master here, Jamie Oliver. A simple wholesome casserole that’s very easy to prepare and really hits the spot. A great main course that serves four.

    cumberland sausage casserole Cumberland Sausage Casserole

Ingredients

6, nice and thick Cumberland Sausages
For frying use some Olive Oil
5 or so sprigs of Rosemary
Glass of Red Wine (large)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
10 banana shallots, whole and peeled
2 x 400g tins of Cannellini beans
2 peeled & sliced garlic cloves
2 handfulls breadcrumbs (large)
4 dried chillies (small and crumbled)
Serve with some crusty bread

Cooking Method:

Using a non stick pan, put in the sausages with a small amount of oil, add the shallots, some sprigs of Rosemary (2 or 3) and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Using a medium heat, toss the ingredients gently and cook for about twenty minutes, moving them all round to brown evenly. Then, gently pour in the wine until nearly gone, then add the Cannellini beans and tomatoes, first bringing them to the boil and then simmering for 20 minutes.

Using a good baking dish, spoon in the casserole and place in a pre-heated oven of 180 degrees centigrade or Gas mark 4. Whilst that’s cooking, heat a large pan on medium heat and add a splash of the oil. Put in the garlic, the chilli, the chopped leaves of what’s left of the Rosemary, add the bread crumbs – Stir frying until golden brown. Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and pop back in the oven for twenty minutes.

Serve the casserole with crusty bread and a good red wine.

Recipe is taken from Vol 1 Jamie magazine

Honey Roast Rack of Lamb

This beauty serves 2 people, takes only 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook!

Honey Glazed Rack of Lamb Honey Roast Rack of LambIngredients:

1 x 6-boned lean rack of lamb, French trimmed and chined
45ml/3tbsp clear honey
20ml/4tsp light soy sauce
15ml/1tbsp English mustard
15ml/1tbsp freshly chopped mint
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

    To make the sauce:

    25g/1oz butter
    1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
    1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
    10ml/2tsp plain or sauce flour
    150ml/¼pint dry red wine
    300ml/½pint good, hot beef stock
    10ml/2tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves

    Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.
  2. In a small bowl mix together the honey, soy sauce, mustard and mint.
  3. Place the racks, fat side up on a chopping board and lightly score. Season on both sides and brush the rack on both sides with the honey mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  4. Roast for 30-35 minutes for medium. Cover the bones with foil if browning too quickly.
  5. Meanwhile prepare the sauce; heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions and carrots over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the wine and the stock.
  6. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Add the rosemary, season, cover and set aside.
  7. Cut the rack into cutlets and serve with a gooey cheese mash, fine green beans and the sauce.

Recipe is courtesy of The Recipe Club

Roast Rib of Beef with Coriander Seeds and Thyme

    This gorgeous dish will serve 4 – 6 people and take 10 minutes to prepare
    Cooking time:

    • For those who like it rare rare – 20 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20 minutes
    • A more medium finish – 25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 25 minutes
    • And finally well done- 30 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 30 minutes
Roast Rib of Beef with coriander seeds and Thyme 215x300 Roast Rib of Beef with Coriander Seeds and Thyme

Ingredients

1.3kg / 3lb lean rib of beef, sirloin or topside joint
50g/2oz softened butter
30ml/2tbsp fresh thyme leaves
20ml/4tsp coriander seeds, crushed
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
300g/10½oz shallots, whole and peeled
2 large garlic bulbs, cut in half across

To make the gravy sauce:

500ml/18floz good quality, hot beef stock
15ml/1tbsp gravy granules
Pinch dark brown sugar
A dash of Worcestershire Sauce

The Cooking Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4-5, 180-190°C, 350-375°F.
  2. Mix butter in a small bowl with thyme and coriander seeds and then season.
  3. Cover the joint with herb mixture and roast, uncovered for the  cooking time (to taste), and baste well with the beef juices. Cover any bones with foil if they brown too quickly. Add the shallots and garlic within last 45 mins.
  4. Remove the beef, shallots and garlic from the pan, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10-15 mins.
  5. In the meantime,prepare the gravy; skimming off any surplus fat from the roasting tin, leave about 45-60ml/3-4 tbsp of the rich meat juices. Add stock and bring to the boil. Strain into a pan, add the gravy granules, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Then stir frequently until thickened.
  6. Season, if required and add the dark brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, to taste. Serve with the shallots and garlic, seasonal vegetables and a parsnip and potato gratin.

Recipe is courtesy of The Recipe Club