Arford Books Cooks

Easy recipes from Apple Tree

Tag: quick (Page 2 of 3)

Porridge

Indulgent Porridge

21/11/2016 / / 0 Comments

Why pay a fortune for porridge in little packets? It is cheap, quick and easy to make your own. You can embellish this with a variety of flavourings or just make plain.

Per person, put half a cup each of porridge oats, water and milk in a pan. Heat until it starts blurping. Turn the heat down to its lowest. If you like , add a handful of blueberries or raspberries and continue heating for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Or make plain and just heat a bit more. Turn into a bowl and add flaked toasted almonds and Argave syrup.

Alternatively, make plain then add a spoon of jam, or a drizzle of honey, Golden Syrup, cream, sprinkle of demarera sugar….the choice is yours.

*** Update! *** We watched Nigel Slater making porridge the other night with a Scottish gent, who would know, obviously. His method was subtly different. He used three measures of water, not two of milk and water, and simmered for five minutes not two. He then added a pinch of salt. We tried this and I have to admit, if you can take the extra three minutes it is worth it. We are divided over the salt issue, Olwyn does not approve but I liked it. By the way, Hugh F-W in an earlier programme soaked his oats for 30 minutes before cooking. I haven’t tried that but will do and report back later.

 

Thai Fish Curry

Quick Thai Fish Curry

16/11/2016 / / 0 Comments

You can use any white fish for this, preferably firm and chunky. Serves four but easily divided down to two or even one.

  • 450g white fish skinned, boned and cut into bite sized chunks
  • 25g seasoned flour
  • 1 clove garlic crushed, or paste
  • 2 tbs red Thai curry paste
  • 1 tbs fish sauce
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • handful cherry tomatoes
  • 20 Thai basil leaves or our own if they are not available
  • Oil

Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Toss the fish in the flour to coat and fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes turning to seal. Remove the fish and keep warm. Mix the coconut milk, fish sauce and curry paste. Stir fry the garlic then add the sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer then add the fish back in, with the cheery tomatoes. Simmer for five minutes. Meanwhile stir fry some fresh vegetable and cook some Thai Jasmin or Basmati rice. When all is done, add the basil leaves to the curry and serve.

Sheep

Merguez Sausages

10/11/2016 / / 0 Comments

Spice Mix (makes 10 tbs or 14tbs – it will keep in a jar):

  • 4 tbs paprika
  • 2 tbs fennel (ground)
  • 1 tbs ground coriander
  • 2 tbs salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • Optional: 4tbs sugar

To make the sausages:

  • 500g minced lamb or beef
  • 120 g fat
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 9or paste)
  • 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 2 or 3 tsp harissa paste
  • 2 tbs spice mix above

Mix all the above. Make sausages in your sausage machine, with or without casings. If you don’t have a sausage machine, you can hand-roll sausage shapes, mould them around skewers or make little patties like mini burgers. Fry or grill and use with North African sides like couscous, roast vegetables, hummus, olives, flatbread.

 

Thai shopping

Thai Pesto Noodles

09/11/2016 / / 0 Comments

A bit fusion but it works. Takes about 5 minutes. The photo above was taken in Thailand where we went to cookery school for a day. First we were sent on a shopping trip to buy authentic ingredients in the market! This recipe did not come from that school but I thought the photo was appropriate for the ingredients anyway.

  • 4 slabs of dried egg noodles
  • 400g raw prawns
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1 bunch of fresh coriander
  • 75g peanuts
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 lime – zest and juice
  • 2 tbs sesame oil
  • 1 tbs olive oil.

Cook the noodles. Stir-fry the prawns in the olive oil. Blitz everything else except the sesame oil in a blender. Drain the noodles, stir in the sesame oil, stir in the prawns and pesto and eat.

Spaghetti, Pesto and Prawns

09/11/2016 / / 0 Comments

Without having to buy pesto! Quantities here for four – this scales up or down easily.

  • 50g blanched almonds
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 50g parsley leaves
  • 1 grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 80ml good olive oil
  • 350g spaghetti
  • 300g cooked prawns

Dry fry the almonds. Zap all but spag and prawns in a blender. Add 2 tbs water to loosen it if necessary

Cook the spaghetti. Drain, add the prawns to warm though. Add the pesto. Done! I have not made this for a while but the recipe in the book has a smiley face and Oli next to it so I will have to make it again soon.

 

Stars and stripes

Sour cream dip

28/10/2016 / / 0 Comments

As approved by a real American.

  • 2 cups sour cream or creme fraiche
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 2 tbs chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh chive
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Mix
  2. Dip!
Hummus

Hummus

28/10/2016 / / 0 Comments

You need:

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained
  • 2tbs olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove or equivalent (or more)
  • Lemon juice – 1/2 to 1 lemon
  • Salt
  • Optional – 1tbs tahini paste

Stick it all in a jar and blitz with a stick blender. That is all there is to it. Adjust the ratio of ingredients to find the combo you like.

Ottolenghi version:

  • 250g dried chickpeas

Wash and put in a bowl. Cover with at least twice the volume of cold water and leave overnight. Next day, drain the chickpeas and add to a pan with

  • 1.5 litres water
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda

cook for 40 minutes ( or Instant Pot 15 minutes). Drain, then process until you have a thick paste. Add

  • 270g tahini paste
  • 4tbs lemon juice
  • 1tsp salt
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed

Process until smooth. Drizzle in iced water (up to 100ml) to loosen and keep mixing until you get a smooth creamy paste. Refrigerate until needed, but it is best served at room temperature.

Mackerel Brunch

Mackerel Brunch

26/10/2016 / / 0 Comments

Smart eating places serve scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for breakfast or a light lunch, so I thought why not go along with that with a Solent version?  It works best with highly smoked and well seasoned mackerel, so it is woody flavoured and not too limp and fishy. This may be a bit much to take first thing in the morning but for a Sunday brunch it is very good. For each serving (and you can do this just for yourself) you will need:

  • A couple of fillets of the best hot-smoked mackerel
  • Two fresh eggs
  • Butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • Splash of milk
  • Slice of really good bread
  • Pinch of fresh chopped chives or parsley

This is too easy. Toast your bread, meanwhile make scrambled eggs. (if you are new to this – melt butter in a pan. Beat eggs, a splash of milk and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the mix into the pan, and stir very gently with a flat spatula to move the set egg off the bottom of the pan to make room for the runny stuff. In a minute or two it will be looking scrambled. While it is still a bit runny, take it off the heat – it will carry on cooking by itself and you want it sloppy, not set rock hard). Butter your toasted toast, top with the eggs, and pile flaked, boned, de-skinned mackerel on top. Sprinkle with herbs and voila, your brunch.

Swedish Lunch

Swedish Mackerel Lunch

26/10/2016 / / 0 Comments

This is so simple, and you can use any hot smoked fish. The original recipe called for mackerel and as we are always looking for more uses of mackerel I have repeated the recipe here. For the photo above I used hot smoked salmon, simply because I had some! For each serving (and you can do this just for yourself) you will need:

  • A couple of fillets of the best hot-smoked mackerel
  • A slice of rye bread
  • Cream cheese
  • Capers
  • Red onion
  • Pinch of fresh chopped chives or parsley

This is easy. Spread your bread with a generous layer of cream cheese. Top with flaked fish, sprinkled with a few capers, chopped red onion and chives. With a salad on the side this makes a healthy lunch.

Japanese pancake

Japanese pancake (Okonomiyaki)

26/10/2016 / / 0 Comments

Japanese street food, and so many variations exist that whatever you do to this it is probably not wrong. Great for using up stray bits and pieces and is super quick to make. The cabbage and batter ingredients are essential, the others you can mix and match. For one person you need:

  • One egg beaten
  • 50g plain flour
  • 50ml stock (or hot water with a pinch of stock powder added)
  • 4 cabbage leaves preferably Sweetheart or Chinese Leaves, shredded
  • Quarter of an onion, chopped
  • Small potato, grated
  • Half tsp grated fresh ginger
  • Salt and pepper
  • Other things: chopped bacon, ham, prawns or thinly sliced cooked meat

Stir fry the onion, potato and cabbage. Add in that order so the onion is well cooked. You could add bacon at the same time if that is your thing. Add the ginger. Add whatever other things are going in. Meanwhile make a batter with the egg, flour, stock and season. Pour the batter over the veg and meat in the pan and leave for five minutes. Turn it over and cook another five. You should now have a rather solid-looking pancake. Tip it onto a plate and garnish with chilli sauce, mayo, tuna flakes, dried seaweed. As you can see from the photo above, I only had chilli sauce to hand but it was still good. Find out more here

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