Salmon in Sorrel Sauce

Sorrel gives a tangy zesty taste to sauces and works wonders with rich oily fish like salmon.

Salmon and sorrel sauce for 2 beautiful people

Equipment

• Baking tray
• Medium Pan
• Tin foil

Ingredients

• 2 Salmon fillets
• 6 large Sorrel leaves chopped
• 1 Shallot diced
• 100ml of Chicken stock
• 150ml sour cream
• Salt and pepper
• 30g Butter

Method

• Heat oven to 200 degrees
• Place salmon on baking tray and season well
• Place salmon in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes
• In a medium hot pan fry onions and garlic in melted butter for a few minutes
• Add stock and reduce by 50%
• Add sour cream and stir in for 30 seconds
• Add Sorrel and stir in for 1 minute
• Season well with salt and pepper
• Remove salmon and spoon over the delicious sorrel sauce

Beef Wellington

Equipment

• Blender
• Frying Pan
• Chopping board
• Cling film
• Grease proof paper
• Baking Tray
• Sharp knife

Fillet Beef for Wellington

Ingredients

• 600g Fillet Beef
• Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp of Olive Oil
• 200g mushrooms + 2 Cloves Garlic (Optional)
• 25g butter
• 6 big slices of prosciutto
• 300g ready made chilled puff pastry
• 1 large egg yolk beaten

Beef Wellington

Method

• Heat oil in frying pan
• Season the beef and then sear all sides in pan then remove and let cool for 30 mins
• Add the mushrooms and garlic to blender and blend until a breadcrumb texture
• Heat butter in a pan and fry mushrooms for a couple of minutes
• Add the Thyme and a splash of wine and stire fry for a few minutes until quite dry consistancy
• On some cling film layout the prosciutto overlapping until big enough to wrap round beef
• Evenly spread out the mushroom mixture over the prosciutto leaving a border without any mushrooms.
• Brush the beef evenly in mustard
• Place in the middle of the prosciutto and ham and wrap round the beef
• Cover in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes
• Roll out the pastry into a triangle big enough to wrap and cover the beef
• Place the beef in the middle of the pastry and brush round the edges of pastry with the half the beaten egg
• Wrap the beef in pastry so covered and trim any parts of pastry that may be too thick
• Cover in cling film and put in fridge for 30 mins to 24 hours until ready to be cooked.
• To cook heat oven to 200c and place beef on grease proof paper on a baking tray
• Brush the rest of beaten egg onto the pastry on beef
• Make a few slits in pastry with the back of a knife gently (do not pierce)
• Place in oven for 20 - 25 mins for Rare and 30-35 for Medium Rare
  
  

  

  Slice of Beef Wellington 

  

  Beef Wellington slice

Moussaka

Equipment:-

• A large frying pan
• 1 pot
• Chopping board
• Baking tray
• A sharp knife
• A small baking dish
• Grater
• Cooking brush
• Grease proof paper

Moussaka

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium or 2 large aubergines, sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 10 baby tomatoes halved
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of bouillon
• 500g minced lamb or beef
• 2 tbsp tomato purée, mixed with 150ml water
• 150ml red wine
• Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Bechamel Sauce

• 500ml milk
• 60g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Nutmeg, to grate

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Place aubergines on baking sheets. Brush with olive oil and season and turn over and repeat. Bake for about 25 minutes until soft, golden and floppy.

2. Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb or beef. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, bouillon and tomato water bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30--40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.

3. Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Bring the milk to just below boiling point, and melt the butter in another saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook until you have a thick sauce, then stir in about 70% of the cheese until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs and add nutmeg and seasoning

Moussaka

4. Arrange a half of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat this layer and top with the sauce. Add the left over tomato halves and the rest of the cheese. Season with cracked black pepper and bake for about 35 minutes until well browned, and then leave to cool for half an hour before serving.

Roast Pheasant

Equipment

• Roasting Dish 
• Chopping Board
• Sharp knife
• Tin foil

Ingredients

• 1 Pheasant
• 10 Rashers of streaky bacon (4 slices roughly chopped)
• Small bunch of fresh thyme
• Small bunch of fresh rosemary
• 40g of butter
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetables for roasting (Onion, carrot, parsnip, olive oil, salt and pepper)
• Serve with braised cabbage

Roast Pheasant

Method

• Heat oven to 200 Celsius
• Add half of the streak bacon to the pheasant cavity
• Add half the Thyme and rosemary to the pheasant cavity
• Rub into the skin the butter and season well with salt and pepper
• Add the rest of the herbs onto the pheasant
• Layer streaky bacon rashers over the top of the pheasant
• Place in Roasting dish and surround with the oiled seasoned veg
• Place in oven for 20 mins at 200 Celsius and then 1 hour at 180 Celsius
• Turn pheasant upside down on some tin foil and rest for 15 mins
• Carve it up and serve with the veg

Roast Pheasant

Duck breast in plum sauce

Equipment:-

• A griddle or frying pan
• 2 pots
• Chopping board
• Colander
• A sharp knife
• A small baking dish

INGREDIENTS

• Duck Breasts
• 2 Duck Breasts with skin scored several times
• 2 tsp of dry thyme or 4 sprigs of fresh
• 1 star anise
• 25g of butter
• Salt and pepper

Plum Sauce

• 4 dark red plums de stoned and cut into wedges
• 300ml of beef stock
• 50ml of red wine
• 2 garlic cloves finely diced
• 3 tbsp of Demerara sugar
• 1 large shallot diced finely
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

• Heat 1 tsbp of oil in a pan and fry the shallots for 3-4 mins
• Add the garlic and fry for 1 min
• Add the plums and sugar and fry until the sugar has dissolved
• Add the red wine and stock
• Simmer for 15 mins stirring occasionally until it has thickened
• Leave to cool to room temperature
• Heat oven to 180C or Gas mark 4
• Heat Griddle pan to medium/high
• Season duck breast and place on griddle pan skin side down
• Leave to cook for 5 mins
• Then turn the duck and add the butter, thyme and star anise
• Once butter has melted baste the duck a couple of times
• Transfer to a baking dish and put in the oven for 5-6 mins for medium rare
• Remove from oven and let rest on chopping board for 5 mins
• Heat some of the plum sauce and in the mean time slice the duck in thin slices
• Serve up and drizzle some of the butter and thyme sauce over duck
• Add 3 - 4 tbsp of the plum sauce

Beef, Mushroom, Tons of Thyme and Red Wine Casserole

Equipment

• Large Pan
• Chopping Board
• Sharp knife
• Measuring Jug
• Grease proof paper disc to fit on top of large pan (Cartouche)

Ingredients

• 500g Diced Stewing Beef
• 1 Red onion diced
• 1 medium parsnip cut into medium chunks
• 1 medium carrot cut into medium chunks
•  12 whole button mushrooms
• 1 Large glass of red wine
• 400 ml of beef stock
• 1 tsp Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp of beef bouillon
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 heaped tbsp of tomato puree
• 4 whole sprigs of fresh thyme
• 10 sprigs of fresh thyme just the leaves
• A small bunch of fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp of plain flour
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 1 knob of butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

• lay beef out on a plate and season with salt and pepper and evenly coat with the plain flour
• Heat olive oil in the pan to a medium high heat
• Add the seasoned beef and fry on all sides until browned
• Remove beef and set aside in a bowl
• Add onions and fry for a couple of minutes stiring occasionally
• Add knob of butter
• Add mushrooms and fry for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally
• Add tomato puree and fry for 2 minutes stiring occasionally
• Add parsnip and carrots for 2 minutes and stir occasionally
• Add the glass of red wine and stir well so all caramelised bits are removed from pan base
• Simmer for 5 mins
• Add tomatoes, beef stock, Worcester sauce, beef bouillon, thme leaves and sprigs and stir
• Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours stirring3 or 4 times
• Preheat oven to 200
• Remove pan and stir and add grease proof paper disc on top of stew
• Place in the over for 30 mins
• Remove and stir in chopped parsley and your done
• Serve with mash potato or potato gratin

Fillet Steak with red wine sauce

Fillet steak with red wine Jus is always a winner. Just make sure the fillet steak is good quality from a good source and to use a fairly good red wine. Serve it up with some boiled or hassleback potatoes and some steamed green veg. After making this we decided to remake it over the weekend for 2 friends we had round. Although we were a bit drunk it still went down a treat again and we all had a lovely evening.

Serves 2

Equipments:-

• 1 Griddle pan
• 1 Sieve
• Small bowl or dish

Ingredients

Fillet steaks

• 2 Good quality fillet steaks at room temperature
• 300ml of red wine
• 2 tbsp of garlic infused olive oil
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 onion peeled and slice roughly
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Heat the griddle pan until medium/high
• Brush the fillet steaks with the garlic infused oil on both sides
• Season the fillet steaks with salt and pepper on both sides
• Quickly sear the fillet steaks on all over
• Cook the fillet steaks for 2 minutes on each side
• Set them aside in a warm place

Fillet Steak

• Add the olive oil and onions to griddle pan and fry until browning
• Add the brown sugar and stir fry for 2 minutes
• Add the red wine and simmer until reduced to by about 90% leaving a nice red win reduction
• Strain the onion and wine mix through a sieve pushing through as much liquid as possible out of the onions.
• Serve up the steaks and drizzle with the Jus.

Fillet steak with red wine sauce

Fillet steak with red wine sauce Done!!!!

Prawn Salad (Prawn Cocktail)

Here we have a prawn salad or a prawn cocktail if you want the starter version. It is more of a salsa based prawn cocktail than the traditional 70s and 80s variety. We originally done this with Lobster instead of prawns last Christmas and was so good we wanted to make it again this year but we could not get hold of a lobster. We got some good quality prawns and tried it with them instead. It turned out pretty amazing and at half the cost. So if you fancy prawn salad, prawn cocktail, lobster salad or lobster cocktail give this one a try.

Serves 2 prawn salads (4 prawn cocktails)

Equipment:-

• 1 large bowl
• 1 small bowl
• 1 chopping board
• 1 sharp knife

Ingredients:-

• 250g cooked and peeled prawns
• 2 tomatoes de seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 cucumber de seeded and finely chopped
• 1 red pepper de seeded and finely chopped
• 4 spring onions finely sliced
• 1 small green medium chilli de seeded and finely chopped
• A bunch of coriander roughly chopped
• 1/2 juice of a line
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• A few drops of Tabasco sauce 
• 1 Avocado diced
• black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce

Method:-

• To a bowl add tomato, red pepper, spring onions, cucumber, lime juice, olive oil, salt and coriander.
• Mix well and then set aside the salsa in fridge for 30 mins
• In a small bowl make the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco together
• In 2 medium serving bowls serve up. There will be 2 layers of each ingredient in each serving dish so roughly evenly serve it out based on that. Layer up in the following order
• Salsa, lettuce, prawns, dressing, avocado, Salsa, lettuce, prawns, dressing, avocado.
• Season with black pepper and it's done.
• You can alternatively make 4 smaller versions as a prawn cocktail and serve up in some glasses or smaller dishes.

Prawn Salad or Prawn Cocktail Done!!!

Lamb shanks in red wine sauce

What a lovely treat for a Sunday afternoon after a busy weekend. Lamb shanks in a red wine sauce with apricots and olives, served with mash potatoes and steamed vegetables. Probably the best lamb dishes when it comes to eating lamb that is extremely tender and juicy. This is the first time I have had this as I was never much of a fan of lamb a few years ago. Carola has always told me we should try her lamb shanks one day and now I have and was very impressed.

Serves 4

Lamb Shanks in red wine sauce

Equipment

• Large pot or dish with cover
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife

Ingredients

• 4 Lamb Shanks
• 1 bottle of Red Wine (cabernet sauvignon)
• 500 ml of Lamb or Beef stock
• 10 black pitted olives
• 10 green pitted olives
• 10 dried apricots roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar
• 1 Onion sliced
• 2 tbsp of tomato purée
• 8 Anchovy fillets diced
• 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A few sticks of fresh rosemary

Lamb shanks in red wine sauce

Method

• Heat an oven to Gas Mark 2 / 160C
• Make a few slits in each lamb shank and push in some rosemary sprigs
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan or dish
• Add the lamb shanks and fry, turning occasionally until brown on all sides
• Set lamb shanks aside on a plate and season them well with salt and pepper
• Add to the same pan onion, garlic and anchovies and fry for 3 minutes
• Add the tomato purée and fry for 5 mins stirring often.
• Add the sherry vinegar and the bottle of red wine
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add the apricots, black olives, green olives and the lamb shanks
• Bring to the boil cover.
• Place all in the oven and cook for 2 hours
• Remove from oven and add the sweet potato and return to the oven with lid off
• Cook for a further minutes
• Remove and season to taste and serve with some mash potato and steamed vegetables

Lamb shanks in red wine

Lamb shanks in red wine DONE!!!

Garlic and Chilli Prawns (Simple)

Here is something very simple and very moreish. Make sure to use good quality prawns and serve with some very fresh crispy bread to soak up the the garlic and chilli oil. Preferably use fresh uncooked prawns in shells, they were out of stock at my supermarket so I had to get them ready cooked.

Serves 2 as starter

Equipment

• Frying pan
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife

Ingredients

• 8 Large fresh prawns

Prawns and Parsley

• 6 tbsp of olive oil
• 5 Garlic cloves diced
• 8 birds eye chillies finely sliced

Garlic and birds eye chillies

• A handful of fresh chopped parsley chopped
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Heat a frying pan to medium/hot heat.
• Add the oil
• Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1 min
• Add the prawns and fry for 2 mins
• Turn over the prawns
• Add salt, pepper and half the parsley
• Let fry for 2 mins
• Stir and serve up
• Squeeze some lemon juice over and add rest of parsley

Garlic and Chilli Prawns

Garlic and Chilli Prawns Done!

Tomato and ciabatta salad

I know this is not in season at the moment and more of a summer dish but always worth doing so simplicity. This is a very rustic dish and originally from Florentine, known as panzanella or Panmolle . You can't go wrong with it, just make sure you buy some very good quality tomatoes.

Serves 4-6

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 600g of good mixed tomatoes chopped

Mixed tomatoes

• 1 ciabatta torn into rough chunks
• Salt and pepper for flavour
• 3 tbsp of small drained capers
• 1 Red onion peeled and sliced finely
• 1 small jar of roasted peppers in olive oil drained and chopped
• 4 tbsp of good extra virgin olive oil
• A bunch of fresh basil leaves roughly ripped
• Juice of half a lemon

Method

• Toast the ciabatta chunks under the grill until just browned and turn over and brown the other side

Ciabatta torn and grilled

• In the mixing bowl add Tomatoes, capers, onion, peppers, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper then mix well

Tomatoes, peppers and onions

• Add the toasted ciabatta chunks and basil

Tomatoes, peppers, onions, bread

• Toss through the salad a few times and sever immediately

Tomato and ciabatta salad

Tomato and ciabatta salad Done!!!

Halloumi & shiitake mushroom kebabs with mixed bean sprouts salad

These work really well from the combination of the salty firm Halloumi, juicy firm shiitake mushrooms and the mellow zesty bean sprout salad to cut through it.  We made them as a starter for probably our last BBQ of the year as the weather is now getting chilli here in London. So looking forward to making these again in summers to come. Mega simple, tasty and quick to make.

Halloumi & Shiitake kebabs

Serves 4 as starter

Equipment

• 4 metal skewers or if wooden soak them in water for an hour
• Chopping board
• Sharp Knife
• 2 mixing bowls

Ingredients

• 250g block of Cypriot Halloumi
• 20 Shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• A little zest from lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups of mixed fresh mixed bean sprouts
• 1 cup of shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 of diced cucumber
• Salt and pepper

Method

• Chop Halloumi block into 20 cubes roughly same size and add to with Shiitake mushrooms
• Add 1 tbsp of oil and the oregano and mix well and leave for 10 mins
• Add to skewers 5 Hulloumi cubes and 5 Shiitake on each skewer.

halloumi & shiitake mushrooms

• In a bowl add the mixed bean sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, lemon juice, zest, 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste

Lettuce and bean sprout salad

• On a heated BBQ or Griddle pan add the Halloumi kebabs and cook for 5-6mins turning occasionally
• Evenly divide the bean sprout salad on to 4 plates and then place a kebab on top of each one

Halloumi & Shiitake kebabs with bean sprout salad

Halloumi & Shiitake mushroom kebabs with mixed beans sprouts salad DONE!!!

Pan-fried sea trout with caponata

This one is based on a mackerel recipe by Simon Rimmer. We have adapted it slightly to our own taste and it turned out super. What was surprising was the chilli,  honey,  soy and orange sauce, it was very sweet but only a small drizzle over the fish when served up really makes it come alive. We have never had caponata before and that too went perfect with the sea trout.

serves 2

Equipment:-

• 2 Pans
• 1 Frying or griddle pan
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• 2 Wooden spoons
• 1 bowl

Roated pine nuts

Ingredients

• 2 Sea trout fillets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Red onion chopped
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb chopped
• 1 small Aubergine chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 1 tsp of tomato puree
• 25g capers
• 25g of raisins
• 25g toasted pine nuts
• 1/4 of a red pepper chopped
• salt and pepper

• The Sauce
• 50ml of soy sauce
• 1 juice of orange and zest
• 75ml of honey
• 1 small red chilli finely chopped

Sea Trout recipe

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan and fry onions, fennel, aubergine and celery for 8 mins

Fennel and Aubergine

• Add the tomato and fry for another 2 mins, then set mixture aside in a bowl

Caponata

• Add to the bowl the capers, raisins, pine nits, pepper,  salt and pepper
• Stir until combined well (caponata done)
• Rub the remaining olive oil into the sea trout fillets
• Pad fry the trout fillets for 2 mins each side and then remove and let drain on kitchen paper

Sea Trout

• For the Sauce heat soy, orange, hone and chilli in a pan until warmed through
• To serve, divide the coponata between 2 plates, place a piece of sea trout on each and drizzle with the sauce.

Sea Trout with caponata

Pan-fried sea trout with caponata Done!!!!

The Paleo Recipe Book