Doing my delving into my freezer I came across some fillets of pork and as I like my Oriental type of food, I decided to do an extremely quick and tasty Pork Satay (sort of). In a pan, with some peanut oil/sunflower/olive seal the pork fillet with a little salt and pepper. Remove and rest. (Not you — the pork!!) to the pan add some chopped garlic, spring onions (if you don’t have use the stalks from white onions or strips of leek) chopped ginger, fresh chillies (or dried), a good glug of Ketjap Manis (or dark soy sauce) and a couple of dessert spoons of peanut butter. (if you don’t have, but you have peanuts make your own – see my recipe here) a little cumin and chopped coriander and a dash of honey. Mix well then add the pork fillets. Serve with rice or noodles! Garnish with a veg like grilled aubergine, pak choi, spinach etc.

Using up the rest of the fillet of pork; 20 minutes including peeling and cooking the potato. In a pan seal the medallions of pork and season. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan add chopped onions and garlic and sweat down. Add diced cherry tomatoes (or tinned): Deglaze pan with white wine. Add oregano and some chicken stock and adjust the seasoning. While boiling the potatoes to make mash, put a sieve over the pan so as you can steam your vegetables (in my case green beans, spinach and carrots) Place the pork back in the sauce and re heat for a couple of minutes and serve. Enjoy!!

Found some frozen tuna steak in the freezer. It was frozen when I bought it (God knows why but…..). Let it thaw naturally. Par-boil some sliced potato. In a baking tray, heat some olive oil. Lay the potatoes in layers (max two layers) coat with olive oil and a little oregano and bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Open a tin of tomatoes (or if you have some fresh that need using up chop very finely). In a pan seal the tuna steak, remove and place on top of the potatoes. Add a little olive oil to the pan, put in some finely diced onions, garlic and heat until soft. Deglaze with white wine, add the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Pour over the tuna/potato and return to the oven for 5/6 minutes and serve with fresh spinach! (You can substitute any fish for this really! It’s just that tuna is more ‘meaty’!) All done in about 20 minutes! Enjoy.

I had a pal on the phone asking me to help him prepare his skinless salmon. Mix together a little honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chilli, grated orange and the juice from the orange a little sesame oil and sesame seeds! Mix and coat the fish with the marinade. Place in foil, turn into a parcel, pour the juice inside the foil parcel and place in a baking tray put in a hot oven for 10 minutes take out and put under a hot grill to glaze y Voila!

Here’s a cracker for you and takes minutes. From scratch: If you buy some cheap pork ‘filete’ from the supermarket, cut it in to strips and cover in white wine, add a couple of chillies, and a little salt and pepper and leave in the fridge over night! If you have some pork leftovers — or chicken can be used — cut up accordingly. In a pan put some butter and a little oil (this always stops the butter burning) finely diced onion, diced carrot (optional) finely chopped garlic, when soft add the meat, add the wine from the marinade (or a glass if you are using already cooked meat) A teaspoon of tomato purée and sliced mushrooms salt and cayenne pepper. When reduced, add cream. If you have some that’s gone sour then so much the better, if not add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with long grain rice: Place a veg, (in my case broccoli) in a sieve over the rice as you are boiling and cover to steam it. SERVE AND EAT!

Dinner suggestion, breast of chicken with the skin on: Hot pan with butter and oil: Pan fry the chicken skin side down. Add chopped chives (remember onion sproutings chopped up!!) lots of sliced garlic, salt and pepper a little white wine and chicken stock. Cover for 5 minutes at medium heat. Remove chicken, place under a grill skin side up. When crispy, remove and place on creamed potato serve with fresh spinach. Bring the sauce up to temperature — this is the best bit — whisk in a large knob of butter and pour over one side of the chicken. Fabulously tasty and less than 20 minutes from start to finish and around 1.50€ a portion!!

Chicken, Bacon, Leek and Mushroom Pie!
Sautée off a couple of rashers of sliced bacon, add some leek and quartered mushrooms. Add some tarragon and a splash of white wine. Throw in some cooked chicken pieces (you can use fresh). Add some chicken stock and season (or a cube). Finish with fresh cream (add cornflour to thicken if necessary!) Put in a ‘pie dish’ cover with puff pastry and serve. 3 minutes prep 5 minutes cook, ten minutes oven! y voilá!

SOME MONEY SAVING IDEAS?

TRY THIS!! I had a bit of puff pastry left over from my pie the other day and had an apple in the fridge that had seen better days!! Peeled and chopped a little sugar softened in butter. Roll out pastry, layer with the apple and grate over cheddar cheese, fold over, pinch the edges and a little egg wash! In the oven for 10 minutes and you have a lovely sweet/savoury snack!!

Just a quickie, I’m sure you are all aware, but taking your potato peel, washing them, pat dry rub with salt and oil and put in the oven, make great snacks or covered in a cheese sauce (especially blue cheese) will make a great meal!! (NOT that slimming, but?) Also, you know when you buy fresh onions you have the long green stalks? Don’t throw them out. Dice finely, allow to dry and you have ‘chives’ for cooking, salads, or of course use them to make a soup!! Happy Isolation!

Broccoli Stalks? After using the florets for your fresh vegetables, peel the stems and keep, cut the rest into rings.
SOUP: Broccoli, leek small potato in boiling water with a couple of vegetables stock cubes: When cooked, blend, season with black pepper and a swirl of cream.(add some grated blue cheese to the mix!!)
STALKS: Cook in boiling salted water until ‘al dente’. When cold, serve with a dip of garlic mayo or Marie rose sauce. Use to substitute for asparagus: ie, with smoked salmon and poached egg. Or with sliced cooked leek a little cream, grated parmesan cheese (or similar) and grill. Or sautéed bacon and onion with the broccoli and scramble an egg!!
Three dishes out of what you may have throw away!

Homemade peanut butter: Put salted peanuts in a blender, add olive oile( Peanut oil?) blend until smooth. Add a teaspoon (+) of honey and adjust seasoning. Reblend.

WATCH OUT FOR MORE HOME COOKED DISHES       Simples!!!

Thanks for donating to our cause.