Midnight Burger

RB8NMNXDEUBM

Midnight Burger

Ingredients:-

125g of good minced beef (80% lean & 20% fat)

A burger bun halved

2 thin slices of cheddar or processed cheese squares

2 Medium tomato slices

2 Gherkin slices

Some fine slices of red onion

Ketchup

Swedish Mustard

Salt and black pepper

A strip of streaky bacon grilled and halved

Olive oil

Medthod:-

With hands mash mince a couple of times

Roll in hands into a firm ball

Place on a sheet of grease proof paper and flatten out with hands into thin disc

Put another sheet of grease proof paper on top.

Then place in fridge or freezer for 20-30 mins to firm up.

Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add the burger but do not squash down

Cook for about 3 mins

Flip burger over for another 3 mins and season with salt and pepper

Get base of bun on serving plate and add the following in order

Cheese slice, Burger, Cheese slice, Mustard, ketchup, gherkins, onions, tomatoes, bacon and top of bun.

Thyme potato wedges

Ingredients per person:-

2 medium waxy potatoes

3 tbsp Olive oil

Tbsp copped fresh thyme or dried

Salt and pepper

Method:-

Chop the potatoes into wedges leave the skins on

Add to baking dish

Add thyme, salt and pepper and olive oil

Mix together with hands

Bake in an oven at 200°C or gas mark six for 1 hour or until browned

Turn them 2-3 times

Chilli and ketchup dip

Mix 2 tbsp of ketchup with 1 tbsp of your favourite chilli sauce.

Q for Queenstown (New Zealand)

________________

Garlic and Chilli King Prawns

Garlic and chilli King Prawns

Ingredients:-

20-25 fresh peeled king prawns

Half a lemon

3 cloves of garlic finely diced

4 heaped tbsp of corn flour starch

Chilli flakes - 1 tsp mild, 2 tsp hot, 3 tsp very hot

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup of olive oil

Method:-

In a medium pan heat the 1.4 cup of oil

Squeeze the lemon juice of prawns and mix

Add corn flour to a bowl and mix in garlic, chilli, salt and pepper

Add prawns to the flour 2 or 3 at a time and coat well

Carefully add the prawns to the hot oil cook about 1 min each side

Remove carefully add put on kitchen paper to drain

________________________

Avocado, Mozzarella and tomato salad

Avocado, Mozzarella and tomato salad

Ingredients:-

1 Mozzarella ball

1 Avocado

15 baby tomatoes cut in half or quaters

1/4 of an onion in thin slices

Sweet Basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Dressing

1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp of sea salt

A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Method:-

Combine the salad ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss. Set aside.

Prepare the dressing by mixing together the oil and lemon juice. Whisk with a fork to Fully combine 

and emulsify the oil and juice. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and  Whisk again for 30 seconds.

Pour a dressing over the salad and toss to coat ingredients.

______________________

Cod and potato stew (Portuguese style)

Cod and potato stew

Ingredients:-

400g of cod loin or other white fish cut into chunks

400g waxy potatoes slice into discs

200g of tomatoes sliced into discs

100ml of fish stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion sliced

1 bay leaf

Fresh thyme sprigs

Salt and pepper

Method:-

Cook the sliced onions in the oil gently for about 15 mins and set aside

In a medium pan stack up the ingredients in several layers as follows

Some onion, some potato, some tomato, some fish, salt and pepper and repeat

Once all ingredients used up

Add some sprigs of thyme ontop and the bayleaf

Pour the fish stock over

Bring to a light simmer and cover for 40 mins

Cod and Potato stew with Avocado and mozzarella  Salad

P for Phuket (Thailand)

Thai crunchy satay king prawns

Thai crunchy satay king prawns

Ingredients:-

24 fresh peeled and rinsed king prawns

1 tbsp of peanut butter

2 tbsp cruched peanuts

200 ml coconut milk

1 tsp of thai red curry paste

half tsp of fish sauce

half tsp of tomato puree

1 tsp of brown sugar

1 red chilli

2 crispy rye breads

Method:-

Add to a pan:- Peanut butter, peanuts, coconut milk, red thai curry paste, fish 

sauce, tomato puree & brown sugar.

Mix well together and use enough to just coat all the prawns

Once prawns are coated put them on skewer (6 per skewer)

Heat the rest of mixture in pan and simmer for 5 mins

Crush up the rye breads

Deseed and dice up chilli very fine

Mix chilli and bread crumbs together and flatten out on chopping board

Dip the skeweres in the bread crumb chilli mixture until they are covered

Grill the prawns in hot oven for 2-3 mins each side.

Serve on plate with hot peanut sauce on side to dip

_______________________

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Ingredients:-

225g new potatoes , cut into chunks

150g mixed baby corn and mange tout

Bamboo Shoots

1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable

1 garlic clove , chopped

1 rounded tbsp or 4 tsp Thai green curry paste

400ml can coconut milk

2 tsp Thai fish sauce

1 tsp caster sugar

1 lime zest

450g chicken breast diced

Good handful of fresh basil leaves

Method:-

Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

Throw in the baby corn and mange tout and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Drain and put to one side.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat oil

Then drop in the garlic and cook until golden, this should take only a few seconds.  

Spoon in the curry paste and stir it around for a few seconds to begin to cook the 

spices and release all the flavours. 

Pour in the coconut milk and let it come to a bubble.

Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then the pieces of chicken.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes until the 

chicken is cooked.

Tip in the potatoes baby corn, mange tout and bamboo shoots and let them warm through in the hot 

coconut milk, then add a lovely citrussy flavour by stirring in the lime zest.

The basil leaves go in next, but only leave them briefly on the heat or they will 

quickly lose their brightness. 

Scatter with the lime garnish and serve immediately with boiled rice.

_____________________

We used this Green curry paste (Very Good)

Perfect to wash down the Thai Green Chicken Curry

O for Ontario (Canada)

Pea Hummus

Pea Hummus

Ingredients:-

3 cups of Frozen Garden peas

1/4 cup parsley or cilantro

3/4 teaspoon cumin ground

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup tahini

the juice of 1 to 2 lemons

Method:-

Put a large pot of water on to boil, and when it boils add the peas. Boil until tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the parsley or cilantro, cumin, salt, garlic and tahini into a food processor. Process until finely chopped.

Drain the cooked peas, and rinse them in cold water until cool. Drain well, and add them to the food processor. Blend until very smooth. Add the juice of one lemon, and blend it in well. Taste the hummus, and add more lemon juice if desired. I find this does take a lot of lemon juice; the peas are so delightfully fresh and sweet tasting, but that calls out for a lot of lemon to balance them.

Serve as you would regular hummus, with bread, crackers, chips etc.

_________________

Parsnip Fritters

Parsnip Fritters

Ingredients:-

225 grams (1/2 pound) parsnips (2 large)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Fresh ground white pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil to fry

Method:-

Peel the parsnips and grate them quite finely; they will cook better than if they are coarse. Toss them with the salt, pepper and flour. Mix in the egg well, then mix in the milk to make a smooth batter.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put the batter in by spoonfuls to form small patties; you should get 6 to 8 of them, although you could make them even smaller if you like. When you see the edges start to look brown, turn them over and cook them on the other side. They cook very quickly - 2 or 3 minutes will do each side.

When they are done, blot them briefly on paper towel and serve at once.

_____________________________

Eggplant, Potatoes, Tomatoes & Bean Stew

Ingredients:-

1 large onion diced

3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 Large eggplant

2 cups chopped green beans cooked

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

6 medium potatoes boiled and chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh basil leave sliced

1 teaspoon dried Sage

Method:-

Heat oven to 200°C.

Peel and cube the eggplant

Put in a baking tin and drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake in oven for 40 mins

Heat some oil in a large frying and add the onions and fry until just brown

Add the garlic and fry for a further min

Remove the onions and garlic from pan and set aside

Add some more oil to pan and fry the eggplant for a few mins

Add the potatoes, beans, Basil and sage and stir well

Add the tomatoes, salt and onions and garlic

Cook for 8 to 10 mins stirring regular.

Chicken with Leeks and Barley

Ingredients:-

3 large leeks

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

3 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups pot barley

4 cups (1 litre, or 1 quart) chicken stock

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon dried sage, or 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage

Method:-

Trim the leeks, chop them, and rinse them well. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the chicken into pieces, if it is necessary.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, and sauté the leeks until soft. Add the garlic, and sauté for a minute or two more. Put them in a large pot with the barley and the chicken stock.

Heat the remaining butter in the skillet, and sauté the chicken pieces until nicely browned on each side. Put them in the pot with barley and leeks.

Add the vinegar, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and simmer, covered, until the barley is tender; about 1 hour. Stir very gently if it seems to be sticking, otherwise don’t bother. Add the sage about 15 or 20 minutes before the barley is done.

Serve garnished with a little parsley, if you like and if you have some.

Meat Loaf

Meatloaf with Stir fried sprouts and Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients:-

Prepare the Vegetables:

1 medium onion

1 large carrot

1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil

Peel and chop the onion fairly finely. Peel and grate the carrot. Sauté them in the oil until soft. Let them cool as you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Meatloaf:

¾ cup fine breadcrumbs

2 extra-large eggs

½ cup tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon rubbed basil

½ teaspoon rubbed savory

½ teaspoon rubbed thyme

½ teaspoon salt

250g (1/2 pound) each ground beef & lean pork

250g (1/2 pound) ground lamb or turkey

Ingredients:-

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large mixing bowl, put all the ingredients except the meats, and mix well. Crumble in the meats, and add the cooled sautéed vegetables. Mix everything thoroughly; I find it easiest to do this with my hands.

Press the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Let rest 5 or 10 minutes before lifting the meatloaf from the pan to a serving platter, and slicing. Serve at once, although it should be noted that the cold leftovers make lovely sandwiches.

________________

Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Ingredients:-

2 cups Brussels sprouts

1 1/2 cups shiitake or button mushrooms, or a blend

1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

Method:-

Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts, and cut them in halves or quarters depending on their size. Clean and trim the mushrooms, and cut them in halves or quarters as well.

Peel and mince the ginger and garlic.

Mix the corn starch with the soy sauce and water in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, and about 1/4 cup of water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water evaporates and the sprouts are a fairly bright green. They should look about half-cooked to you at this point.

Add the mushrooms, and continue cooking and stirring until the mushrooms soften and brown slightly, along with the sprouts. Add the ginger and garlic, and mix in well. Finally, stir up the starch and liquid, and pour it over the vegetables. Mix in well; it should thicken up and coat the veggies pretty much immediately. Serve at once.

_______________