Meatball Mania

A packet of mince is a standard feature in most people's freezer. Break it out, defrost it and turn it into something special...

For the Meatballs:

• 500g of lean mince
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp of concentrated beef stock (or an oxo cube)
• 2 tsp of horseradish sauce (or mustard)
• 2 tsp of ground corriander
• Breadcrumbs (optional)
• Finely grated Parmesan (or the cheap powdered stuff if you must)

For the Sauce:

• 1 chilli
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 small tin of tomato puree
• A few sun-dried tomatos
• 2 tbsp of oregano
• 1 tblsp of honey
• Red wine
  
• Fresh basil

To Serve:

• Spaghetti
• Butter
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Parmesan

Method:

• First up get the onions sweating. Chop them up and put them in a large pan on a low heat. Put the lid on the pan and stir them every few minutes. We want them soft and sweet which will take about as long as it takes you to make the meatballs.
• For the meatballs put the garlic, stock, horseradish, corriander and egg in a blender and whizz it all up.
• Put the mince into a bowl and pour the blended mix over it and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with clean hands!
• Add a couple of handfuls of the grated Parmasan (don't be shy) and a handful or two of breadcrumbs if you are using them. Mix again, you should now feel the mix drying up a bit as these ingredients absorb some of the moisture.
• Roll the mixture into as many golf ball sized meatballs as you can manage.
• Now, before we make the sauce we need to seal the meatballs. Before we do that add the chilli to the onions and give it a minute on a medium high heat. This will take the edge off.
• When you are ready push the chilli/onion mix to the corner of your pan and slowly add the meatballs to the clearned area. (take them out altogether if you don't have a very big pan)
• Turn the heat up and get these babies sizzling! Turn using tongs and keep them moving until they all take on a nice colour with a few charred bits.
• When ready, mix the onion and chillis back in and then add the red wine. Let this bubble and reduce a little to intensify the flavour before adding the tinned tomatos, oregano and tomato puree and honey.
• Carefully mix this altogether ensuring that you avoid breaking up your meatballs. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for about 45 minutes to allow the flavours to develop (stir occasionally to stop it sticking)
• 10 minutes before the end get the spagetti on. When it is ready drain into a colander and add a nob of butter. lightly salt and then grind some black pepper over it and toss the pasta so it doesn't stick together
• To serve put some spagetti into a bowl, toss with a little more Parmesan and then cover with meatballs and plenty of sauce.

This dish is unbelivable tasty, and is even better the next day so don't be too greedy when dishing it up!!!!

Tangy Cajun Chicken Salad

This salad is a taste sensation, is easy to prepare and by using your own dressing you ensure that it stays ultra healthy. If ever there was a time to use a high quality free range chicken it's with this one, you will really taste the difference. I would also recommend using those tomatoes that are still attached to the vine, although cherry or plum varieties are a good alternative.

The dressing is considerably easier to make if you have a whizzer. I use a lemon basil in the dressing, but this is tricky to find (I grow my own), a regular basil is fine, but DO NOT be tempted to use dried herbs in this. My last top tip is that if your salad leaves are a little bit tired you can freshen them up by plunging them into a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes before you serve them.

This little beauty takes about 15 minutes and is a wonderful light summer dinner...

Ingredients

• 1 free range chicken breast per person
• A bag of mixed salad leaves
• Good quality olive oil
• Cajun spice mix (from the spice section in the supermarket)

Dressing:

• 1 red chilli
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tblsp of honey
• 2 limes
• 4 tblsp of the olive oil
• A handful of lemon basil
• Salt and pepper

To Serve:

• Shavings of Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Lightly coat the chicken breasts in oil and rub a generous amount of the Cajun spice mix into both sides.
• Put the chicken under a grill at a medium heat. Depending on how thick the breasts are this will take between 10 and 15 minutes to cook. Remember to turn them at the half way point!
• While this is cooking, whizz up the chilli with the garlic
• Add a tblsp of oil to a small pan and get it medium hot
• Fry the mix for a minute or so just to take the edge off the chilli and to mellow the garlic
• Take the mix off the heat, give it a minute to cool slightly and put it back in the whizzer
• Zest the 2 limes and add the bits to the chilli and garlic mix
• Give the limes a quick roll between your palm and the work surface to loosen them up, then cut them in half and juice them straight into the mix
• Add the 4 tblsp of oil and the herbs. You should use the soft stalks as well, but avoid any that are too thick and twig like.
• Microwave your honey jar for 10 seconds to make it a little more runny and add a tablespoon to the mix
• Season well and then blend
• Put a load of the salad leaves into each persons bowl, quarter the tomatoes (or half in the case of cherry toms) and drizzle a generous amount of the dressing over them.
• Mix it all up with your hands and spread out the tomatoes
• To serve take the chicken out, slice it into strips and lay it over the top of the salad
• Shave the Parmesan ( or grate using the big holed side of a grater) and put some over the top of the chicken

Thai Style Chilli and Basil Stir Fry

I got this recipe whist travelling round Thailand in 2006. I was in a remote village called Pai and bought a book that was written by an old Thai woman who runs a cookery school there. This remains the only recipe I have tried from the book, but when you're onto a winner why worry!

This is so easy it's ridiculous, it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and it just fabulous. It supposed to be quite dry and sticky rather than swimming in sauce so bear that in mind when cooking it.

You can use any kind of meat, the old Thai woman say to use chicken, but I find that good rump steak is the best. Any cut of frying steak works ok - just don't go cheap and nasty and under no circumstances use braising or stewing steak, you'll be chewing it for hours! Pre-cut "stir fry" packs are fine, but you'll get a better deal (and a better quality) if you're prepared to cut it yourself.

Ingredients:

• Some meat.
• 2 chillis
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• Light soy
• Dark soy
• Oyster sauce
• Brown sugar
• Basil
• Fine green beans
• Baby corn

To Serve:

• Noodloodloos

Method:

This has to be cooked fast. I almost always forget to put the noodles on in time, so my advice is to get a pan of water on the boil before you begin so as you're ready to go.

• If you have an electric whizzer then peel put the garlic and the roughly chopped chillis in it and give is a quick whirl. If not then you'll have to finely chop them instead :(
• Chop your meat into fairly thin strips, if you are using a meat that is going to release a lot of liquid (like lamb) then you'd better pre-fry it for a few minutes in a different pan and then drain off the fluid.
  
• Put some oil in the wok and put the heat on maximum. Throw a pinch of your chilli and garlic mix in, when it starts to sizzle add the rest
  
• You need to cook this mix until it is fragrant, which should take no more than 1 minute. Don't stand too close or you'll end up coughing all over it!
• Add the meat and stir fry. Add 1 tblsp of dark soy and move the meat around to evaporate any excessive liquid. Some meat juice is good, but too much will mean you are boiling it rather than frying it!
  
• Give it a couple of minutes to cook and then add 1tblsp of light soy, 1 tblsp of oyster sauce and 1 tblsp of brown sugar
  
• Add the chopped baby corn and green beans and stir fry until you think the meat is cooked, add a splash of light soy if it gets too dry, or even a little water if it's getting very dry
• Put your noodles in!
• Just before the end stir through a handful of roughly chopped basil. I also find a tube of "Gourmet Basil" you can get in supermarkets is quite a handy thing to have in the fridge for these occasions.
• Stir it through and take it off the heat, dish up your noddles with the stir fry on top and enjoy!

See how easy that was. Trust me, once you learn this off by heart you will be having it twice a week and you'll never buy another crappy stir-in sauce again!

Frankie's Dynamite Chilli

This baby is a work in progress. It takes time, and lots of it, to make a perfect chilli. It also takes plenty of practice and a fair bit of experimentation. I have only hit chilli nirvana once and it was a joy to behold! My numero uno tip is to not underestimate the impact of the meat chunks mixed in with the mince - and use plenty of spices for a really full flavour.

You may think that this is a rather long list of ingredients, but chilli is one of those fantastic dishes that matures over several days as all the different flavours combine. Make up this big batch and it will blow your mind for a week (you're gonna need a BIG pan, this feeds 2 of you for 3-4 days)...

Ingredients:

• 500g of decent quality mince
• 500g of rump steak (you can use braising steak if you are skint)
• A few rashers of smoked bacon (optional but v.tasty)
• Some sun-dried tomatoes (also optional but tasty)
  
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• At least one small tin of tomato puree
• 2 medium onions
• 6 cloves of garlic (trust me on this)
  
• 1 red pepper (and 1 green if you want to boost the amount slightly)
  
• 1 tin of kidney beans
  
• Plenty of chillis
• Chilli powder
  
• Ground cumin (and cumin seeds if you have them)
  
• Ground corriander
• Ground cinnamon (and cinnamon sticks if you have them)
• Paprika
• Dried oregano
• Bay leaves
  
• Tabasco sauce
  
• Red wine or port, or 1 can of strong full flavoured beer, or cheap whisky/bourbon
  
• Worcester sauce
• Honey (or brown sugar)
  
• Some concentrated beef stock or an oxo cube

To Serve:

• Rice
• Cheddar cheese
  
• Some tortilla chips
• Sour cream

Method:

The key to this is regular tasting to check the chilli heat is suitable and to ensure the cumin is coming through sufficiently as these are the two primary flavours. It is quite tricky to say how many chillis you should use as this depends on how hot you like it, what type of chillis you have and how big they are. I love it hot and spicy, so I would use 3, possibly 4 of the ones you get in a packet from Tesco's (Sainsbury's are the same), but maybe one less of the long thin variety available from greengrocers. I would not advise you use the small birdseye variety popular in Thai dishes, but if that's all you can get try 6.

• Chop the onion and garlic and put it on a low heat in a large oven proof, hob friendly pan. Pop the lid on the pan and sweat the onions for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. This will give them a wonderful sweet flavour.
• While they are on, chop the steak into small cubes, don't go too small or you will lose them amongst the mince, but make enough so as they are plentiful. Maybe about 2cm in size.
• In a separate pan, on a very high heat, flash fry the steak for just long enough to seal it and drain off the excess fat (fry the bacon too if you are using it). Set to one side.
• When the onions are nearing readiness chop and add half the chillis and a couple of pinches of cumin seeds
• After a minute or so add the mince to the pan and break it up. When it starts to brown season heavily with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Crumble the oxo cube over it or stir in a few tsp of the stock concentrate
• Add the steak to the mix
• Add 1/2 to 1 tsp of chili powder (this helps to even out the heat), 3 tsp of cumin, 2 tsp of corriander, 1 tsp of paprika and 1 tsp of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick or two (if you don't have then add an extra tsp of ground cinnamon).
• Give it a stir and add the tins of chopped tomatoes.
• Stir this up and give it a couple of minutes to settle, then add a generous sprinkling of oregano and a few bay leaves.
• Add the hydrated sun-dried tomatoes if you are using them
  
• Add the tomato puree, a proper shake of Worcester and a splash of Tabasco and mix it all in
• Time to taste! At this stage it shouldn't be too hot as we have only added half the chillis. Chop and add as many more as you think you need. Season again if need be, a good chili need more than an average amount of salt to draw out it's potential.
• Add plenty of honey and/or some brown sugar
  
• Throw in the booze! Add the whisky, beer or red wine/port until the mix is quite liquidy (probably best to water down the whiskey).
• Stir it all up, add chop and add your peppers and throw in the kidney beans and I reckons y'all about done!
• Stir thoroughly then simmer with the lid off to reduce the liquid.
• Preheat your oven to 160
• Over the next hour come back from time to time to check the mix and add a little more booze as it reduces. Taste regularly and adjust with extra spice as needed. If you have underestimated the amount of chillis and it's not hot enough, the best thing to do is add some dried chilli flakes. If it is too hot... well, you'll know for next time.
  
• Finally, when you think it is of a good semi-thick consistency put it in the oven
• Cook it for 3-4 hours stirring occasionally. If it looks too watery take the lid off for the last half hour.
  
• Serve on a bed of rice, sprinkle with cheese, add a handful of tortillas and a dollop of sour cream. A couple of bottles of Mexican beer with lime wedges in the bottle neck will set things of perfectly.
  

Wow, that was a bit of a mission! But just remember, that is pretty much all the cooking you will have to do for the next few days, so go and relax and polish off the remainder of that booze!

Snails, Snails, Snails

Yes, that's right - snails. This is based on an article I read in the Metro and I have included for the interesting facts about snail farming as much as anything else. Here's the summary...

Apparently snail meat is quite fleshy - like squid or clams - and the earthy, buttery softness evokes memories of the gentle textures of sushi or lobster. The flavour reflects whatever the poor blighter has been fed on during the last week of it's life, in the case of Burgundy snails this is usually grape vine, but can just as easily be marjoram, parsley, rosemary or thyme.

A chap in Devon has a farm of around 35,000. He doesn't recommend collecting them from urban areas as they eat anything and may have been gorging on all types of toxins or garbage (which ends up at the end of their tails). However, if you catch them and feed them good stuff for a week or so they should be alright. Personally I'd say this means go and hunt them in the country.

One last warning - snails are difficult to wash. A Grandmother's tip is to wash them in salt and vinegar.

There are two preparations I am going to summarise. The first is the way to go if you want to pop them in a pie or a soup...

Snails For Soups and Pies

Clean the snails thoroughly

Simmer them in a rich bouillon stock or a quality chicken stock for about 45 minutes

Finish them in the pan in a rich Devon butter with garlic and fresh parsley

Eat then as is, or add them to soup, pie, stir fry or anything else you can think of.

Garlic Snails

Feed your snails rosemary and thyme for a few days (try not to name them!)

When ready wash them in salt and vinegar to get rid of the scum

Boil the buggers for 5 minutes

Pick them out of their shells

Remove their black tails (which is their intestine) and wash again.

Simmer to tenderise in white wine and herbs on a low heat for about 40 minutes

Make up a garlic and herb butter (do not melt - quickly fry the garlic first then add to butter & herb mix)

Add a splash of Pernod into the bottom of the shell, stick in a snail, season, seal with the butter mix and cook in an oven for 15 minutes at 180°C

Sounds like a lot of aggro just for the end result of a plate of frigging snails doesn't it? Still I reckon if you are looking for a talking point at a dinner party you can't go far wrong with this one!

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to my recipe blog. Here you will find an eclectic collection of recipes ranging from quick dinners for when you've had a long day at work to dinner party extravaganzas.

I sometimes use this as a store for recipes I spot in the paper or magazines and also occasionally transfer others from websites that I suspect I may never find again, but there's a fair few here that are all my own work.

What they all have in common is that they are damn tasty - well, either that or they are at least interesting in some way!