Pesto Pork and Apple

This recipe was stolen from my boyfriend.. hope it's worth it :)

Serves 2


Ingredients: 

• 2 pork chops
• 2 tbsp Green Pesto
• 2 Mushrooms (any kind) stalks removed
• 30g Mild Cheddar Cheese grated
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Apple cut into slices
• Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Get your pork chops and place in a baking tray ready for grilling them. Get a pinch of salt and rub it into the meat on both sides. Sprinkle on the pepper and drizzle on a dash of oil then bosh them under the grill for approx 6-7 minutes on a medium/high heat. Turn the bad boys over and grill for a further 6-7 minutes.

2. Take the chops out the grill and place 1 tbsp of pesto evenly on each piece of pork. Add the mushrooms on top and place back under the grill for approx 4-5 minutes. 

3. Once again remove from the grill to add the cheese evenly on the pork. Placed the apple on top of the cheese and grill for another 4-5 minutes.

4. It's ready for serving! I like to serve with salad and boiled potatoes.

Boiled 'Tats

To make my boiled potatoes cut the 'taters into quarters with the skins on. Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes then drain. Keeping the 'tats in the pan, add a large knob of butter and shake 'em about to make them nice and fluffy. Add a pinch of rosemary to the boiled babies and you're all set!

Bosh!

Very Cheesy Tagliatelle

Picture coming soon!!

Serves 4.


Ingredients:

• 75g Parma Ham, cut into thin strips
• 100g Baby Corn, diced
• 1/2 Sweet Pepper, diced
• 100g Baby Button Mushrooms, halved.
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 75ml Double Cream
• 50g Red Leicester Cheese, grated
• 1 small red onion, diced
• Knob of Butter
• 475g Tagliatelle Pasta
• Salt and Pepper to season
• Sprinkle of Parmesan shavings

Method: 

1. Place the Tagliatelle in a bowl of boiling water with 2 pinches of salt. Leave to cook on a medium to low heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a pan and fry the onions. After roughly 2-3 minutes, or until the onions have started to brown, add the mushrooms, garlic, sweet pepper and Parma ham. Stir occasional to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and leave for 3 minutes.

3. This should start to smell pretty good, so whack up the heat and add the double cream and salt and pepper. Once the cream starts to boil slowly add the grated cheese bit by bit. Make sure you stir the mixture at the same time as adding the cheese to avoid a sticky mess!

4. Once you've added all the cheese to the pan, lower the heat and cook for a further minute stirring the whole time.

5. Drain the Tagliatelle. Now you have two options. You can either add the mixture to the Tagliatelle and mix well then serve onto plates, OR you can serve them separately on the plate. The choice is yours!

6. Finally sprinkle on the Parmesan and enjoy!

Ta Da!

Hearty Beef Strogonof

Serves 2.


Ingredients:

• 500g diced beef
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 100ml of soured cream
• 150ml of single cream
• 75g baby button mushrooms
• 2 tbsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Tomato Purée
• pinch of salt and pepper
• pinch of Oregano
• pinch of Paprika 
• 25ml of cider (optional)

Method:

1. Fry off the diced beef in a wok (until the meat turns brown) then leave to one side in a bowl with the juices. Using a knob of butter, fry off the onions for roughly 3 minutes then fry the mushrooms until they are slightly golden in colour.

2. Add the meat and juices to the wok along with the garlic, salt and pepper then on a medium heat leave for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the soured and single cream to the wok and stir in the tomato purée, paprika, nutmeg, oregano, Dijon mustard and cider (if using it) and leave it for a further 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Plate it up!

Every time I make this the measurements seem to change so it really is a rough estimate. If the Strogonof is too runny you can thicken it up with sauce flour or, if it is two thick, you can add more single cream or a bit of water to thin it out.

Serve with rice or mashed potato.

Photo coming soon!

Cheeky Little Chestnuts

A little Autumn tip...

This little delight is free. Yes, FREE!


So, chestnutting season has arrived. So all you crazy nutters (see what I did there?) anyway.. all you crazy nutters out there go into your local woods and get chestnutting.


To find chestnuts you go to a chestnut tree.. what's that?.. you don't know what a chestnut tree looks like?

This is what one looks like! :)

What was I saying? Oh yes! ... You go over to this tree and look for these on the ground...

Beware of the spikes!

And with the heel of your shoe you stomp on them (not too hard) but hard enough to break the shell and collect the little nuts. 


Take them home, stab each one lightly with a fork to make a tiny hole in the centre of the nut (but not all the way through) then boil them for around 10 - 12 minutes.


There ready to eat! To eat them you simply peel away the shell and bobs your uncle.


I like to serve with honey so you can dip the little nutters in to give it added sweetness.


Happy Chestnutting my fellow nutters :)

More Mackerel Please!

 Tasty mackerel you can eat for lunch or dinner.

My dad caught this mackerel but if you buy it from the supermarket try and get it fresh as it really does taste better. It's really simple to cook and there are a thousand and one ways you can cook it but I prefer it done nice and simple; as fresh mackerel is jammed pack of it's own glorious flavours! 


First you have to gut the fish (unless you bought it already gutted). It can be quite tricky and there are many different techniques but I find this link extremely helpful... (if you're squeamish or easily offended then you probably shouldn't watch this video)

I personally prefer to keep the head on but it's totally up to you! After gutting the mackerel simply place on a baking tray with a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of lemon and a sprinkle of dried parsley.


I always eat it with salad and boiled potatoes but you can serve it with whatever you fancy or as a snack on it's own!


Hey Presto!

Rose's Rosey Roasties

My idea of perfect roast potatoes...

Ingredients: 

• As many potatoes as you need
• Salt
• Pepper
• Plain Flour
• Mixed Herbs
• Olive Oil

Method:


1. Peel and slice the potatoes quarterly if using your average size potato. Place them in a pan of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Part boil them for approx ten minutes or until fairly soft.


2. Whilst the potatoes are boiling, pour the oil into the baking tray forming a 1cm layer from the base of the tray. Whack in the oven at a high temperature.


3. When the potatoes are soft, cover them in flour until the potatoes are evenly coated in a thin layer. Place the 'taters in the baking tray and using a spoon cover the potatoes in the oil. (Before doing this make sure the oil is piping hot!)


4. Sprinkle on the pepper and mixed herbs and more salt if you wish and leave in the oven for approx 20 mins to half an hour on a medium heat. You'll know when they are done because they will be a lovely golden colour. You might want to keep turning the beauties over whilst they're roasting to make sure they're cooked all the way through.


There you have it ... Rose's Rosey Roasties! mmmm. 

White Chocolatey Goodness

A delicious sponge cake with a marscapone cheese filling!

Ingredients:

• 100g butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 3 eggs beaten
• 125g self raising flour
• 100g white chocolate
• 200g marscapone cheese

For The Topping:

• handful of raspberries
• a bit of milk chocolate melted for drizzling. 

(You can change the topping to suit your tingling taste buds!)

Method:

1. Cream the butter with the sugar until it's light and fluffy and then beat in the eggs.

2. Sift the flour and salt together and fold into the egg mixture. 

3.  Grease the cake tin and pour the mixture into it. Bake in the centre of the oven until golden and risen. When cooked take the cake out of the tin and leave to cool. 

4. Whilst the cake is cooling melt the white chocolate and place in a bowl with the marscapone cheese. Mix well. 

5. Place the mixture evenly on the sponge cake then add the raspberries and drizzle on the chocolate.

Lovely Jubbly :)