Lambs' Liver, Bacon and Onion Casserole with Roasted Potato Slices

Liver and onions is a popular combination but they are most often cooked together in a frying-pan. This recipe is a little bit different in that although the cooking process begins with the frying-pan, it is mostly undertaken in the form of oven casseroling.

Ingredients (Serves Four)

4 slices of lambs' liver
1 large onion (sliced)
4 rashers of bacon
1 pint of fresh chicken stock
2 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp sunflower oil
4 large roasting or baking potatoes
Salt and pepper

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Pour one tablespoon of sunflower oil in to a frying-pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Add the onions and bacon and fry for a couple of minutes before removing to the casserole dish.

Put the flour on a plate and season well before drawing each slice of liver through it to evenly coat both sides. Fry the liver for about a minute each side to seal and add it to the casserole dish. Pour the warm chicken stock over the meat and cover the dish before putting it in to the oven for forty-five minutes.

I prefer not to peel the potatoes but this is a matter of personal preference. Peeled or unpeeled, therefore, cut them in to quarter-inch thick slices. Add the remaining two tablespoons of sunflower oil to a large basin or bowl and season well with salt. Put the potato slices in to the bowl and stir very carefully but thoroughly to coat each of them in oil. Place the slices on a warmed baking sheet and in to the oven for the final thirty minutes of the casserole's cooking time. Turn them after fifteen minutes.

Arrange the cooked potato slices in a circle around the edge of a large plate. Add some of the bacon and onions to the centre of the plate and serve the slice of liver on top.

Looking for more delicious lamb's liver recipes? Check out the link below!

Lamb's Liver Recipes

Tender Fillet of Veal in Breadcrumbs with Herb Roast Potatoes and Red Cabbage Salad

Veal can of course be a very expensive meat to buy but it is so delicious if prepared correctly that the outlay is more than worth it every so often. This tender fillet of veal just melted in the mouth and went very well with the accompanying herb roast potatoes and red cabbage salad. This recipe is for two people.

Ingredients

2 fillets of veal
12 (approx.) baby new potatoes (unpeeled)
1/2 small red cabbage
1 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro in USA)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 eggs
5 to 6 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the potatoes in to a large pan of boiling, salted water to parboil for fifteen minutes and the oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6, a flat baking tray inside to also heat.

Chop/shred the red cabbage with a sharp knife and put it in a fairly large bowl. Add the coriander and white wine vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir very well and cover until required.

Put one tablespoon of sunflower in to a large mixing bowl and add the herbs, seasoning with salt. Stir well. Once the potatoes have boiled for fifteen minutes, drain them well before adding them also to the bowl and swirling them around until they are evenly coated in the herb and oil mixture. Put them on to the baking tray and in to the heated oven for another fifteen minutes.

Break the eggs in to a shallow but wide dish and beat with a fork. Place the breadcrumbs on a large dinner plate and evenly spread them out. Add a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large non-stick frying pan and bring up to a medium heat. Dip each fillet of veal in turn firstly in to the egg then pat both sides in the breadcrumbs and repeat before placing them carefully in to the warmed pan. Fry for ten minutes, turning them over carefully after five minutes, then turn off the frying pan and leave them to rest for the final few minutes of the potatoes' cooking time.

Plate up your meal and enjoy your dinner.

Pork Fillet on Red Cabbage and Pear

I love red cabbage, especially when prepared with pears as in this recipe. When I prepared pork with pear sauce for this blog a week or so ago, I determined to prepare a pork fillet with red cabbage and pear in the very near future. I have now done so.

Ingredients (Serves Two)

2 leg of pork fillets
Half a red cabbage (shredded)
1 ripe pear (thinly sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Method

Put a little vegetable oil in to a frying pan and bring up to a medium heat. Add the two pork fillets and fry for around ten minutes each side on the same medium heat. Ensure that the pork is fully cooked throughout by checking that the juices run clear.

After turning the pork half-way through cooking, in a large pot, pour around two tablespoons of vegetable oil and gently heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir for a minute or so to infuse the oil with their flavour before adding the red cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to heat at medium, stirring occasionally and well.

When the pork is done, push the pan off the heat and leave it to rest for a few minutes. Add the pear slices to the cabbage and cook for another three or four minutes and this delicious and attractive meal is ready to serve.

Simple Lamb Curry: Lamb Rogan Josh

When deciding what to have for dinner last night, I realised that I hadn't had lamb for an unusually long period of time. I dredged through my memory therefore for the details of this simple lamb curry recipe, my version of Lamb Rogan Josh, and decided that this - accompanied by a naan bread - was just that for which I was in the mood.

The quantites used in this simple recipe are for one hungry person.

Ingredients

1/2lb diced leg of lamb
1 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp powdered coriander seed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander (known by its Spanish name, "Cilantro," in the USA)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp sunflower or corn oil

Method

Add the oil to a fairly large pot and bring it up to a medium heat before adding the onions and the garlic. Stir fry these ingredients with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until the onions begin to take on a transluscent quality. Add the four spices and fry for another minute or so, stirring continually.

Add the diced leg of lamb and turn up the heat, stirring to brown the lamb evenly. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the natural yoghurt and bring to a boil.

When the mixture is boiling, turn down the heat to the abolute minimum and simmer as gently as possible for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. Note here that I have in the past sometimes found that the liquid has almost fully evaporated before the rogan josh is ready. If this should be the case, simply add a little boiling water as required.

When the lamb rogan josh is ready, season to taste with salt, stir in the chopped coriander and serve with a warm naan bread.

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Leftover Stir Fried Pork with Fried Rice

Last night, I found myself wondering, "What should I have for dinner tonight when firstly I forgot to eat lunch and secondly I forgot to go to the supermarket?" Yes, it was a long, hard day at the PC and my concentration was absolute, so when my stomach started to growl around 8pm, I faced a bit of a dilemma.

I soon remembered, however, the leftover pork from the previous night which I had intended having on sandwiches for lunch and decided to get the wok out and create a leftover stir fried pork recipe. As the rice has to first be boiled and cooled, however, last night's was a very late dinner!

Ingredients

2 thick slices of leftover roast pork
1 onion (quartered and separated from layers)
Pinch of Chinese five spice
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 oz basmati or long grained rice
Corn oil for stir frying

Method

The first step is to boil the rice as one normally would - per the instructions on the packet - and leave it to cool completely. I like to assist this process by running it under some cold water when I'm in a hurry.

When the rice is cool, add around one tablespoon of corn oil to a hot wok and subsequently the rice. Stir fry for two to three minutes until the rice just begins to take on a little colour. Transfer the rice to a warmed holding dish while you prepare the stir fried pork.

Add some more oil to the wok and then the chopped onion. Stir fry until the onion begins to colour, then add the pork until it too takes on a dark, roasted colour. Add the Chinese five spice and the dark soy sauce and stir fry for another thirty seconds to a minute before plating the rice and the leftover stir fried pork on top. Garnish if desired with such as a chopped tomato or some fresh herbs.

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Roast Pork with Pear Sauce and Roast Potatoes

Roast Pork is a traditional family favourite but is of course more commonly served with apple sauce, rather than pear sauce. This was a recipe idea which actually occurred to me in the supermarket last night when I was unable to get one of the ingredients for the dish I intended to make. I am quite happy, however, to leave that dish for another time and share here my idea for Roast Pork with Pear Sauce and Roast Potatoes.

Ingredients

1 joint of pork, suitable for roasting
(Remaining ingredients are per person)
6 or 7 baby new potatoes
1 tbsp frozen peas
1/2 pear
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp caster sugar
Small pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Cold water
Salt

Method

The first step is clearly to roast the pork. Place the pork either on a baking tray and cover it with aluminium foil or in a roasting tin. Put it in to the oven, pre-heated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5, for 35 minutes per pound and a half hour over and above this time. Uncover the pork for the last half hour of the cooking time to let the crackling crisp up.

Fifteen minutes before the pork is ready, place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in to some boiling salted water to parboil. Peel and chop the pear in to small cubes, discarding the skin and the core. Put the pear in to a small saucepan with the sugar, nutmeg and lemon juice and enough cold water to just cover the pears. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until all other items are ready, stirring occasionally.

When the pork is ready, check that it is indeed cooked all the way through by ensuring the juices run clear and then sit it aside to rest while you prepare the remainder of the ingredients.

Drain the potatoes well and add them to the roasting tin or tray along with the still hot pork juices. Gently tilt the tray backwards and forwards to ensure the potatoes are evenly covered in the juices and put back in to the oven for fifteen minutes. When the potatoes are done, sit them on some kitchen paper to drain and cook the frozen peas in boiling water for three minutes.

It remains then only to plate up your meal. Note that the cooking time in this recipe will leave the pear sauce fairly chunky, but a longer cooking time will result in a smoother finish.

Pork and Apple Shortcrust Pie

Pork Pies are normally thought of in terms of the Melton Mowbray variety. As pork of course goes very well with apples, however, I decided to come up with a pork pie recipe which is just a little different. This generously portioned pork and apple shortcrust pie will serve four to six people.

Ingredients

1lb minced or ground pork
1lb shortcrust pastry
1/2 Granny Smith apple
1 small carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 egg
2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
Salt
Butter for greasing
Milk for glazing

Method

Put the oven on to pre-heat to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Finely dice the half apple and carrot, half then finely slice the onion and crush or finely chop the gralic cloves. Add them all to a large mixing bowl, along with the pork, egg, breadcrumbs and sage. Season with salt and mix thoroughly by hand.

Roll out three quarters of the pastry until it is big enough to line a medium sized casserole dish (which should be greased with butter) with about an extra half inch protruding above the rim. Spoon in the pork mixture and press down evenly and well. Roll out the remainder of the pastry as the lid and use the protruding edges to roll in to a crust for the pie. Make three diagonal scores in the pie lid of about one inch in length for steam and juices to escape and glaze lightly with milk. Put in to the oven for one hour.

About half way through the cooking time, juices will start to escape from the slits in the top of the pie. It is not necessary, but I like to mop the excess off with some dry kitchen towel at this stage.

When the pie is ready, very carefully turn it out of the dish using two plates and leave it somewhere to cool, before serving with accompaniments of choice.

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Turkey, White Wine and Mushroom Pie with Garlic and Mint Mashed Potatoes

It is very common of course to hear of Chicken and Mushroom Pies but probably less so to hear of Turkey and Mushroom Pies. As I have invested a fair bit of time recently in preparing Healthy Turkey Recipes which can be enjoyed all year round - as opposed to simply at Thanksgiving or Christmas - I decided to give this idea a try. I have to say that I was more than delighted with the result.

Ingredients

1/2lb diced turkey breast
6 closed cup mushrooms (halved)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1/2 pint fresh chicken stock
1/2 pint cheap non-sparkling white wine
2 cloves of garlic
1lb potatoes (I used maris pipers)
2 tsp freshly chopped mint leaves
Salt
A little olive oil for frying

Method

Pour a little olive oil in to a large pot and bring up to a medium heat. Add the diced turkey and cook until the meat is sealed, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add one of the garlic colves (finely chopped) along with the mushrooms and fry off for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock and the wine and bring up to a simmer before turning off the heat, covering the pot and leaving it to cool for one to two hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Put the turkey and mushrooms in to a pie dish about six to eight inches long with enough of the stock to submerge the solids (will take most of it.) Grease the edges of the dish with a little butter. Roll out the pastry until it is large enough to cover the dish and place carefully on top, pressing down around the edges to seal before trimming. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie for steam to escape and glaze lightly with cold milk. Put the pie in to the oven for twenty-five minutes.

When the pie is in the oven, peel and chop the potatoes and add them to some boiling, salted water. Simmer for thirty minutes.

When the pie is ready, remove from the oven and sit it aside to rest for ten minutes or so, while the potatoes finish cooking. When the potatoes are done, drain them well before returning them to the pot and mashing with a little butter. Add the mint and the remaining garlic clove (crushed) and stir well.

Plate up you meal, serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Pineapple Egg Fried Rice

There are a great many misconceptions surrounding the process of how to make egg fried rice. The procedure is not a difficult one, however, and if the necessary steps are taken in the correct order, the result can easily rival that purchased from any restaurant.

Ingredients

3oz basmati or long grained rice
2 eggs
2oz cooked chicken
1 ring of pineapple
1 clove of garlic
1 small red chilli pepper
2 large basil leaves
1 tbsp corn oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method

The first step is to boil the rice. Fried rice is made with rice which has already been cooked and not raw rice. Boil it therefore per the instructions on the packet. Drain it well when cooked then run it under cold water for a minute in a sieve to enhance the cooling process. Put it in a bowl and cover to allow it to cool completely.

The egg for making egg fried rice is usually deep fried in a wok prior to making the dish to form something akin to an omelette. I prefer, however, to make instead a traditional French style omelette. This involves melting a little butter in a non-stick frying pan and pouring in the beaten eggs, cooking over a medium heat. Use a spatula to draw the egg mixture from the edge of the pan in towards the centre until the eggs begin to set. When the eggs begin to set, simply leave them until the process is complete and then remove the omelette on to a plate.

Finely chop the garlic and de-seed and finely chop the chilli pepper. The chicken and pineapple should be roughly chopped.

Put the wok on at maximum heat until it is smoking hot. Add the corn oil and heat through. Add the garlic, followed by the chilli and fry off for a minute, remembering to stir constantly. Add the chicken to fry, followed shortly after by the pineapple.

I like to roll up the omelette I have made and roughly chop it but it should be chopped to the size of personal preference. Add the rice and stir fry, then finally the chopped egg.

When done, season to taste and mix through the torn basil leaves before serving with the garnish or accompaniment of choice.

Smoked Mackerel on Spicy Potato Salad

Every so often, I like to experiment not only with the dishes which I create but with the combination of food items which I include as a meal. Where I got the idea for this smoked mackerel on spicy potato salad recipe, even I don't know; all I know is that although it may not sound like the most appetising of dinner dishes, the combination worked very well and it was absolutely delicious!

Ingredients (Serves Four)

4 large smoked mackerel fillets
1 1/2lb potatoes
1 fresh cob of sweetcorn
2 cloves of garlic
1 small red chilli
1 small green chilli
2 tsp fresh, chopped mint leaves
3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
4 small cherry tomatoes for garnish (if desired)
Salt to taste

Method

Peel the potatoes and slice and chop them in to approximately 1/2" cubes. Put them in to a large pan of boiling, salted water and simmer for twenty minutes.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well and set them aside to at least begin to cool while you prepare the remainder of the salad ingredients.

Strip the leaves and fibres from the cob of corn and break off any remaining part of the stem. Sit the cob on its broad end on a chopping board and very carefully slice off the corn kernels with ideally a Chinese style cleaver but, failing that, a very sharp knife. Put the corn kernels in to a large bowl and discard the cob.

Peel the garlic cloves and crush them in to the bowl. De-seed the chillis, finely chop them and add them also, along with the mint, before adding the potatoes and stirring well. The mayonnaise should be added last of all along with salt to taste and the whole mixture stirred thoroughly, though carefully so as not to break up the potatoes.

It is possible to serve the salad immediately but I much prefer to let it cool completely before spooning it on to plates, breaking up the smoked mackerel fillets in to large flakes and serving with a cherry tomato as the final garnish.

Steak and Ale Pie

There are several steak pie recipes which I prepare regularly but this steak and ale pie recipe has got to rate as one of my favourites. The brown ale lends a delicious extra flavour to the beef and the overall effect is truly out of this world.

Ingredients

1lb Aberdeen Angus stewing steak
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 pint brown ale (I use Newcastle Brown Ale)
1 pint fresh beef stock (please - no stock cubes!)
1/2lb puff pastry
Freshly ground black pepper
A little milk for glazing

Method

Put the beef in to a large pot and brown it over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. This will take a few minutes to do it properly and it is important to ensure that all the pieces of beef are properly sealed in this way.

Add the beef stock and brown ale to the pot and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat up until the liquid begins to boil. Reduce the heat to very low, so that the liquid is just simmering, and continue to simmer for two and a half hours, stirring occasionally. Note that in the first few minutes of simmering, the brown ale is likely to cause the liquid to froth up but stirring well will negate this effect.

Ten minutes before the two and a half hours are up, put the oven on to pre-heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Peel and quarter the onion and scrape and slice the carrot in to discs and add them to the beef mixture for the last few minutes of simmering.

Remove the beef and vegetables from the stock with a slotted spoon and place in to a rectangular pie dish, approximately 10" by 5". Pour in enough of the remaining stock to ensure the solids are covered.

Roll out the pastry on a floured board. Grease the edges of the pie dish with a little butter and sit the pastry on top, pressing down firmly around the edges. Cut a "+" shaped cross in the centre of the pastry with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape during baking and glaze lightly with some milk. Place the pie on a baking sheet and in to the oven for 30 minutes.

I like to leave the pie to rest for about ten minutes after taking it from the oven, in a similar sense as to how I would rest a beef steak for a few minutes prior to serving. After this time, cut the pie and serve with chosen accompaniments.

Three Fish Pie with Carrots and Peas

Fish Pie - often called Ocean Pie - is one of my favourite dishes. I do vary the recipe quite considerably but this version is the one which I prepare most often. The combination of these three different types of fish and the use of basil instead of the more commonly used parsley gives the dish a very special and unique flavour.

Ingredients (Serves Two to Four People)

1/2lb salmon fillet
1/4lb cod fillet
1/4lb undyed smoked haddock fillet
1lb potatoes
1 pint of milk
3oz butter
3oz plain flour
10 to 12 basil leaves
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk
1 small carrot per person
1 tbsp frozen peas per person
Salt

Method

Peel and chop the potatoes and put them in to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Simmer for half an hour.

When the potatoes are on, chop the fish fillets in to bite-sized pieces and place them in to a separate large pot. Pour in the pint of milk, add the chopped celery stalk and the bay leaf and heat until the milk just reaches a simmer. Turn the heat off, cover the pot and set it aside until the potatoes are ready. The heat already present in the milk will cook the fish.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well and return them to the pot. Add about two tablespoons of milk from the fish and mash well. Put the oven on to pre-heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Drain the fish from the milk (reserving the milk!) and remove and discard the celery and the bay leaf. Melt the butter gently in a large saucepan and add the sieved flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for two or three minutes before adding the warm milk in three distinct stages to form a lush sauce. Add the fish pieces and the chopped or torn basil leaves and stir well - but carefully, so as not to break up the fish too much.

Put the fish and sauce mixture in to a casserole dish and very carefully spoon the potato on top, spreading it out as evenly as possible. I always put the dish on a baking tray or sheet before putting it in to the oven, as very often the sauce will overflow around the edges and the baking sheet is far easier to clean than the oven!

Bake the pie for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the potato begins to brown on the top.

After the pie has been on for about 10 minutes, chop the carrots in to 1/2" thick discs and add them to boiling, salted water. Cook for 15 minutes. Cook the peas per the instructions on the packet to be ready at the same time as the rest of your meal, plate up and enjoy!

Beef and Tomato Pasta Shells

Pasta is a very common and healthy food item but is of course extremely bland without an accompanying and appropriate sauce. I prepared this beef and tomato pasta recipe for my dinner last night and found it to be absolutely delicious.

Ingredients (Serves Two)

1/2lb minced or ground beef
1 7oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
2 garlic cloves (crushed or very finely chopped)
2 cups of pasta shells
5 or 6 basil leaves (chopped) plus one extra to garnish
2 tsp grated or shredded cheddar or other hard cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Put the minced or ground beef in to a pot and brown it completely over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. This process should take two or three minutes. Add the garlic and the chopped tomatoes, bring up to the boil then turn the heat down until the sauce is at a low simmer. Cover and leave to cook, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Turn the heat down until the water is but simmering and cook for the period of time stipulated on the packet, stirring occasionally. Please note that it is a myth that adding oil to the water will prevent the pasta shells or any other type of pasta from sticking together. As most schoolchildren know, oil and water do not mix and the oil will simply form in a layer on top of the water. All this will achieve is to waste some perhaps very expensive oil!

A couple of minutes before the pasta is ready, stir the basil in to the sauce and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the pasta is ready, drain it well and put it on to two plates. Spoon the sauce on top and garnish with the cheese and remaining basil.

Bacon and Egg? - for Dinner???

Bacon and egg is of course a very popular combination. It is eaten frequently for breakfast, brunch, or even lunch - but how often do you have bacon and egg for dinner? Not very often? Never, more likely!

As you will see, however, the bacon and egg combination here is a little bit different from the normal breakfast serving method and I can assure you does provide a very tasty and satisfying evening meal.

Ingredients

4 rashers of bacon
3 eggs
1 small tomato (de-seeded and roughly chopped)
1 cherry tomato for garnish
1oz cheddar or other hard cheese (grated or shredded)
3 medium sized basil leaves (roughly chopped) plus one small one for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Small knob of butter for frying

Method

Break the three eggs in to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and beat or whisk moderately well. Melt the butter gently in a small, non-stick frying pan and add the egg mixture, turning the heat up to medium. As soon as the eggs are in the pan, put the bacon under the grill to cook.

In the early stages of the eggs cooking, use a spatula to draw the mix in from the edges towards the centre all the way around. Desist from this process once the eggs begin to set, or scrambled eggs will be the result.

Once the eggs can be seen to be almost fully set, turn the bacon under the grill then carefully add the filling to the omelette, on one half only as shown in the picture. Add the tomato, followed by the cheese and finally the basil.

Very carefully, fold the untopped half of the omelette over on top of the half containing the filling and plate up your meal.

NB There are a couple of points I should perhaps mention with regards to this recipe.

1) It is of course down to personal preference but I have found that there is no form of cooking oil which is a worthwhile substitute for butter when making an omelette. Please also never consider using oil-based spreads instead of butter. These spreads are not designed for cooking with.

2) You may notice something strange about the cherry tomato I have used in this recipe. It is of a little known variety called black tomatoes. They are not widely available - but fortunately I simply took one off the vine in the greenhouse!

Leg of Lamb Steak on Potato and Onion Swirl with Garlic and Mint Soured Cream

This is a recipe which can be a little bit awkward in the preparation. It is very important therefore for me to point out from the outset that not too much should be made of attempting to arrange the raw potato and onion slices in a swirl on the baking tray in the first instance. When they are cooked and are softer and more malleable, it will be very simple to arrange them effectively on the plate in the desired fashion.

It is of course not entirely necessary to arrange them as shown on the baking tray and they can equally well be laid out flat and separately, turned once half-way through cooking. I believe, however, that arranging them as shown in the first instance allows the flavour of the onions to permeate in to the potatoes and makes for a much tastier final result.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb steak or fillet
1 medium sized potato (unpeeled, sliced to one-eighth inch thick)
1 small onion (peeled, sliced to one-eight inch thick)
1 tbsp low fat soured cream
6 fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
Sunflower oil
Salt
Small knob of butter

Method

The first step is to prepare the soured cream garnish. This is simply a matter of combining the soured cream, mint and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well and covering with clingfilm, before refrigerating it until required.

Put the oven on to pre-heat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Add about a tablespoon of sunflower oil to a large bowl and season it well with salt. Place six potato slices in to the bowl and stir them around carefully but well to ensure even coating in the oil and salt.

Lightly grease a baking sheet with a little bit of butter and arrange the potato slices and six onion slices as shown. Remember not to be too particular as they can and will be tidied up at the time of service. Place the baking tray in to the oven for twenty-five minutes.

The leg of lamb steak will take about six minutes to cook on each side, if of the thickness (about half an inch) of the one shown. When the potato and onion swirl has been in the oven for about ten minutes, therefore, heat a little sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the steak gently, turning half way through the cooking time. This will have it ready a few minutes before the potatoes and allow it to be pushed to the side to rest.

Cook the frozen peas as described on the packet. This usually entails putting them in to boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain them well when done.

Take the potato and onion swirl from the oven and carefully transfer it to a plate with a large spatula. Tidy up the construction as required. Sit the lamb steak on top, spoon the peas around it and top off with the soured cream.

Cheesey Pork Fillet with Garlic Roast Potatoes

The most important thing to remember when cooking pork is that it must never be underdone. Just like chicken and unlike such as beef, pork must be cooked all the way through to eliminate the risk of food poisoning. This recipe includes first cooking the pork and then adding a delicious cheese and sage topping as a finishing touch.

Ingredients

1 pork leg fillet
1 large potato (unpeeled and chopped)
1 tbsp frozen peas
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1oz cheddar (or other hard) cheese (grated or shredded)
Pinch of dried sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp sunflower oil and a little more for frying

Method

Place a baking tray in to the oven and put the oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Chop the potato in to bite-sized portions and put them in a large bowl with the sunflower oil and some salt. Swirl them around to ensure even coating with the oil and salt. Tip the potatoes on to the preheated baking tray and put them in to the oven for a total of thirty minutes, taking them out to give them a gentle shake and ensure even cooking every ten minutes. Set the bowl aside (unwashed) for later use.

When the potatoes have been on for ten minutes, put a little sunflower in a non-stick frying pan and bring it up to a medium heat. Fry the pork fillet gently for ten minutes each side or until done. Set aside to rest.

When the fillet is cooked, the potatoes should have about five minutes to go. Add the garlic to the unwashed bowl then remove the potatoes from the oven and add them also to the bowl. Swirl or stir them in the garlic mix to cover them, then return to the tray and the oven for five more minutes. Adding the garlic at this late stage prevents it from becoming over-cooked and tasting bitter.

Mix the cheese with the sage and some freshly ground black pepper. Carefully press the mix down on top of the pork fillet and place the fillet on to a grill pan and under a hot grill until the cheese melts and begins to bubble.

The frozen peas should be cooked per the instructions on the packet, usually by boiling them in water for two to three minutes.

Plate up your meal as shown and serve immediately.

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