Bacon and Tomato Pizza Omelette Recipe

I call this a pizza omelette quite simply because it is made in a very similar fashion to an omelette but can easily be cut in to wedges and eaten like a pizza! There are of course an endless variety of different minor ingredients which can be used in it but the principal ones in this instance are ham and tomato.

Ingredients

3 large, free range, organic eggs
3 rashers of bacon
1 large tomato
2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2oz cheddar cheese
2 large basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Crack the eggs in to a bowl and add the water. Beat thoroughly with a fork or whisk then add the breadcrumbs and seasoning and stir well.

Roughly chop the bacon and add it to a dry, non-stick frying pan. Bring gently up to a heat and the melting fat from the bacon will eliminate any need for such as butter or oil. Fry the bacon gently until cooked, then add the de-seeded and roughly chopped tomato. Fry for another minute or two until the tomato is cooked.

Spread the bacon and tomato as evenly as you can over the bottom of the pan and gently pour over the egg mix. Put your grill on to pre-heat to maximum and gently cook the omelette on a medium heat (still on the stove or hob at this stage) until you can see that it is almost fully set.

Tear the basil leaves in to small pieces and scatter over the almost set omelette before placing the pan under your hot grill. Grate or shred your cheese.

When the omelette is set and has risen slightly due to the yeast in the breadcrumbs, scatter the cheese over the top and place back under the grill just long enough until the cheese is melted.

Brocolli and Cauliflower Cheese Recipe

It was recently mentioned to me by Linda Joyce, a reader of this blog, that I had not included any recipes for vegetarians. Personally, I am an omnivore - verging upon being a carnivore - and simply hadn't realised this quite unforgivable omission, even though my mother is vegetarian! I am therefore beginning the rectification of this siuation and promise to include more vegetarian recipes on a regular basis.

Most people will have heard of cauliflower cheese and perhaps be very fond of same but whenever I am making cauliflower cheese, I also include broccoli, both for its excellent health benefits and for even tastier results. The following recipe is for two people.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 head of broccoli
4 oz plain flour
4 oz butter
12 to 15 fl oz milk (depending upon how thick you like your sauce)
4 oz cheddar cheese (grated or shredded)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Basil leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method

The first step is to wash the cauliflower and broccoli and split them in to florets. Put the cauliflower only in to a large pan of boiling, slightly salted water. This is because the cauliflower will take slightly longer to cook than the broccoli. When the cauliflower has been simmering for four minutes, add the broccoli and cook for a further eight minutes only.

It is vital when making the sauce that the milk be heated first until it begins to simmer. Adding cold milk to your roux can cause it to be lumpy or worse. Pour the milk from the saucepan in to a jug or bowl and slowly melt the butter, then sift in tthe flour. Stir well and cook for a two to three minutes, stirring constantly.

The milk should then be added in three or four stages, stiriing all the time. When a lush, thick sauce has been formed, add the cheese and the grated nutmeg and stir until the cheese is melted.

Drain the cauliflower and broccoli well, place it back in the pot and pour in the sauce. Stir very carefully so as not to break the cauliflower and broccoli florets, then serve, garnished with the basil if required.

Grilled Leg of Lamb Steak on Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

Those who know me from other sites around the Web will probably know that lamb is my favourite meat. I adore lamb cooked in so many different ways, with so many different ingredients. As sweet potatoes are probably my favourite vegetable - as well as being one of the most nutritious of all vegetables - this is a recipe which I love to make on a frequent basis.

The quanities described below are per person.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb steak
1 large sweet potato
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp of frozen peas
Salt, black pepper and malt vinegar to season

Method

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes in to pieces about one inch cubed. Put them in to a large pan of salted water and simmer for a total of twenty minutes.

When the sweet potatoes have been on for five minutes, place the leg of lamb steak under a medium to hot grill and cook for seven minutes each side.

The peas should be placed in a pan of boiling water two to three minutes before the sweet pottoes are due to be ready (see individual packet for details.)

When the lamb is ready, take it out of the oven and place it on a plate, covering it with aluminium foil to rest for a few minutes. Drain the peas well and season with freshly ground black pepper and malt vinegar to taste. Drain the sweet potatoes and mash them with the crushed clove of garlic. Arrange the sweet potato and garlic mash in a circle on a plate, surround with the peas and place the leg of lamb steak on top.

Delicious!

Do you love sweet potatoes as much as me? Are you even partly aware of the variety of different recipes which can be made with them? I bought the book below quite some time ago now and although I can't swear to it, I think that I have since made every recipe included in it. Here it is - available on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk - for your inspection. This is one book which I can not recommend highly enough to any sweet potato lover - I promise!

Pan Fried Salmon Fillet with Dill Cream Sauce

Salmon is one of my favourite types of fish. It can be expensive, however, especially if we are fortunate enough to have the chance to buy wild salmon, which are of course under threat today in so many ways. It is vital, therefore, when we are cooking salmon, that we do not overcook it. Like tuna, salmon should retain that under-cooked, moist centre when we put it on the plate.

The quantities in this delicious recipe are stated per person.

Ingredients

1 salmon loin fillet (skin on - this is very important)
2 medium potatoes
3 or 4 florets of broccoli
2 tbsp double cream (use heavy cream in the USA)
1 large pinch of dried dill weed
1 small garlic clove (optional)
2 tsp plain flour
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Butter and sunflower oil for frying

Method

The first step is to get the potatoes on to boil. Especially if the potatoes are new, I like to leave the skins on but this is of course optional. Chop them to the desired size and put them in salted boiling water to simmer for half an hour.

When the potatoes have been on for twenty minutes, put the broccoli in to a separate pot or pan of boiling water. It is imperative that we do not overcook broccoli as it will become soggy and extremely unpalatable. Eight minutes only is the timescale for boiling broccoli - no more!

Put a little sunflower oil and a small knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan and gently heat. Spread the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper before patting the skin side only of the salmon in it. Shake off the excess flour and place the salmon skin-side down in the frying pan. Turn the heat up to medium.

Drain the broccoli and subsequently the potatoes. Add a little butter and dill weed if required to the potatoes and swirl them around to fully coat them.

When the salmon appears from the side to have cooked just over half-way through, switch the pan off and remove it from the heat. Turn the salmon fillet (s) over and leave them to finish cooking in the residual heat while you quickly prepare your sauce.

It is imperative that you use double or heavy/whipping cream for the sauce. Single/light cream will split during the cooking process and ruin your sauce. Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan, along with the crushed garlic if required, until it begins to simmer. Add the pinch of dill, stir well and you are ready to plate up.

Place the salmon on the plate skin-side up. The skin should have crisped up and peel off easily, perhaps with the gentle aid of a knife. Add the potatoes and broccoli and finally spoon the sauce over the salmon.

Steak and Sausage Pie

Steak and Sausage Pie - or simply Steak Pie as it is more commonly known - is a very popular dish in Scotland. Particularly at New Year, but by no means exclusively so, Steak Pie forms a very prominent part of the traditional food of Scotland. It is most often made at home but those looking to buy Steak Pie from their butcher's shop on New Year's Eve - or Hogmany - are likely to have to place an order in advance if they wish to avoid disappointment.

Steak and Sausage Pie is an extremely easy dish to make. Very often, when making a pie such as this, I will substitute half the quantity of stock for cheap red wine, which gives an extra lush appearance to the gravy and flavour to the dish. This is optional, of course, and I have not used the red wine in the instance where I took the photograph pictured right.

The quantities below will make a steak pie which will provide a hearty meal for two people with accompaniments of choice.

Ingredients

1lb of Scotch beef (stewing steak)
4 quality beef link sausages
1/2lb of puff pastry (I tend to buy this pre-made)
1 pint of fresh beef stock

Method

Add the steak to a large pot or pan and brown - or seal - it over a high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. This is to seal as many of the juices in to the meat as possible.

Once the steak is fully sealed, add the beef stock, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer gently for half an hour.

After half an hour, add the sausages to the pot and put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Carefully roll out your pastry to a size where it will just be enough to cover a rectangular pie dish, about 9" by 5" by 2".

Put the steak and sausage in to the pie dish with enough stock to almost cover them. Put the pastry carefully on top and press down around the edges to seal. Do not forget to make a "+" shaped cross in the centre of the pie, each arm of which should be about 1" long, in order to allow the steam to escape during cooking.

It is common to use beaten egg to glaze the pie prior to putting it in to the oven but I simply use milk. Ensure that you do not use too much glaze or you will make the pastry soggy and cause it to collapse and/or tear.

Place your pie in to the oven and cook for half an hour, until the pastry has risen and turned a beautiful shade of golden brown. Serve with vegetables of your choice.

Pork and Leek Sausages and Mash with Red Onion Gravy Recipe

Sausages and mash is a very common dinner in the United Kingdom. The problem is that, unfortunately, the quality of the sausages more often than not leaves a lot to be desired. Usually, they are made with bits of the animal carcass which people would never otherwise eat, as well as a whole host of artificial chemicals and preservatives.

The sausages which I am using in the preparation of this recipe are of very high quality and high meat content, made with free range, organic pork and leeks and, although more expensive than the supermarket budget sausages described above, were priced at a level which should be well within the budget of the vast majority of people.

Ingredients (Serves Two)

6 free range, organic pork and leek sausages
1lb of potatoes
1 large red onion
1oz unsalted butter
1/4 pint of fresh chicken stock

Method

Add a little sunflower or vegetable oil to a non-stick frying-pan and put on as low a heat as possible. Add the sausages and cook for one hour, turning frequently. Note that sausages should never be pricked prior to cooking them as this allows all the juices and thus the flavour to escape. Cook them extremely slowly in this fashion and they will not burst.

When the sausages have been on for about half an hour, put your peeled and chopped potatoes in to a large pan of salted, boiling water and simmer for the remainder of the sausages' cooking time.

Next, peel your onion and slice it across ways to a thickness of about 1/8", so that each slice can then be separated carefully in to rings. Gently melt the butter in a non-stick pot or pan and add the onion rings. Heat on a medium heat for about five minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions begin to sweat and take on a transluscent quality. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for about fifteen minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the chicken stock and simmer for a further five to ten minutes.

It then remains only to drain and mash the potatoes with a little butter and plate up your delicious, healthy option bangers and mash.

If you are for any reason having trouble getting the quality of sausages you desire, why not make your own? You may be very surprised as to how easy it can be!

Stilton Stuffed Chicken Breast with Fried Potato Slices

Stilton is often referred to as, "The King of Cheese." This is an analogy with which I wholeheartedly agree. I am a big cheese lover but without question or hesitation, I would name Stilton as being my favourite cheese of all. That is why, although there were many different cheeses I could have used in the preparation of this recipe, it absolutely had to be Stilton.

Ingredients (Per person)

1 free range, organic chicken breast fillet
1 medium potato (unpeeled)
2 to 3 tsp crumbled Stilton cheese

Method

As ever, remember to put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Lay the chicken breast fillets on a chopping board so that their longest part runs top to bottom. Take a very sharp knife and - if you are right-handed - slice very carefully through the meat from the right side downwards towards the chopping board and across at an angle towards the left. Take all the time you need to do this as you do not want to pierce the chicken breast at the other side. You merely wish to creat a downward sloping cavity in to which you will insert the Stilton. You may find it easier to make several slits, deeper each time, almost as though sawing rather than cutting.

When the slits in your chicken breasts are almost but not quite all the way through the meat, you should pack them with the Stilton, though not too tightly or the breasts will lose their shape and the Stilton will simply overflow.

Place a sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray and the chicken breasts carefully on top. Add another sheet of foil and wrap the edges to form a sealed parcel.

Place the chicken breasts in the oven for around twenty-five minutes.

Slice the potato lengthwise in to slices about 1/8" thick. About five minutes before the chicken breasts are due to be ready, bring a little sunflower oil up to heat in a frying pan and add the potato slices. Cook for five minutes until the chicken is ready then turn and cook on the other side for a further five minutes. The chicken should be removed from the oven, the foil package very carefully opened to prevent scalding from escaping steam and the breasts allowed to rest for the remaining five minutes it takes the potato slices to cook.

Simple Pork Shish Kebabs with Soured Cream Dip

Shish kebabs are of course most commonly made with either lamb or beef and - honestly! - the reason these ones are not made with lamb is because somehow a pack of minced pork had found its way in among the minced lamb in my local supermarket and I never noticed until I got home! I therefore decided to carry on anyway with my recipe idea and am glad I did as the finished dish was absolutely delicious.

Ingredients per Person

1/2lb minced or ground pork
1 red chilli pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp dried sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp soured cream
2 tsp freshly chopped coriander leaf/cilantro

Generous handful of fresh green salad leaves such as rocket

Method

Prepare the dip first by simply stirring the coriander in to the soured cream. This allows the flavours time to infuse.

De-seed and finely chop the chilli and crush or very finely chop the garlic cloves. Mix the pork, chilli, garlic, sage and seasoning thoroughly together. This is best achieved by hand.

Divide the mixture in to three equal portions and shape as shish kebabs (sausage like.) Take three metal skewers and carefully slide the kebabs on to them. It is of course possible to use wooden skewers if you prefer but be ensure to soak them well beforehand. The added benefit of metal skewers, however, is that they conduct heat in to the centre of the kebabs and help to cook them more quickly and evenly.

The kebabs should be cooked under a moderate grill for about fifteen to twenty minutes until cooked. Alternatively, they would cook very well on an outdoor grill or barbecue. Turn them frequently, remembering to wear a protective glove.

Place the dipping sauce in the centre of a large plate and surround it with the salad leaves before sitting the cooked kebabs on top.