All Day Breakfast With A Difference

The all day breakfast is a very popular concept, here in the UK at least. After all, a lot of people who love the combination of ingredients can't face a large fried breakfast in the morning before they go to work - or alternatively, they simply don't have time to make it. One of the dangers of visiting a cafe, however, for an all day breakfast, is that by doing so in the afternoon or early evening, you run the risk of simply getting that morning's unsold reheats. It will by no means always be the case but I vividly recall one experience in Central London, near Kings Cross Station, going for an all day breakfast that would have put anyone experiencing it for the first time off the idea altogether for life!

This all day breakfast is different in the sense that it uses a variety of cooking methods, as opposed to simply the one or two frying pans options. The ingredients - most importantly - are all freshly cooked. If you are someone who has a heartier appetite in the evening than in the morning, you can enjoy an almost traditional fried breakfast to full effect at the best time of your choosing.

Note: Although you may not have access to Lorne sausage, or even black/blood pudding, you can mix and match, with perhaps the likes of small burger patties. It must also be remembered that bacon is very different here in the UK to what it is in the USA. British bacon is taken from the back of the pig, while US bacon is taken more from the belly. This Ayrshire middle bacon is almost a combination of the two but bacon rashers of any type will suffice.

Ingredients per Person

2 beef link sausages
1 Lorne sausage
1 slice of black pudding (be sure to remove plastic rind if still attached!)
2 slices of Ayrshire middle bacon
1 large breakfast mushroom (4 to 5" diameter)
1 medium tomato
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying

You will need ideally two frying pans for this meal, even though the bacon is going to be grilled and the egg hard boiled. Pour a little bit of oil in to the larger pan and add the two link sausages. Do not prick the sausages. This only causes the juices and the flavours to be lost in to the pan. They are going to be cooked very slowly, which should prevent them from bursting. Put the pan on to a very low heat and fry for ten minutes, turning occasionally with cooking tongs.

After ten minutes, leave the sausages where they are (they require twenty minutes' cooking time) and add the black pudding and Lorne sausage to the pan. These two items should be fried for five minutes each side.

At this point, add your egg (which should be at room temperature and not straight from the refrigerator) to a pan of cold water. Put on a high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for six or seven minutes. Add a little vegetable oil to the smaller frying pan and bring up to a fairly high high heat. Carefully pull the stalk out of the mushroom and half the tomato. Put the tomato halves flesh side down in to the frying pan and the mushroom in, cup side up.

The sausages and black pudding should be removed from the large frying pan to a heated plate and covered with foil to keep warm while the remainder of the meal is completed. You will likely find that water has accumulated in the cup of the mushroom. Use your cooking tongs to lift the mushroom and pour the water in to a small cup or bowl to be discarded. Fry the mushroom cup side down for the last few minutes while you grill the bacon under an overhead grill for a couple of minutes each side.

Take the pot containing the egg to the sink and run cold water in to it for about thirty seconds or until the egg is cool enough to handle. Crack the shell of the egg all around on a hard surface and peel under running cold water. Carefully quarter the egg lengthwise on a wooden chopping board with a sharp knife.

Plate the mushroom cup side uppermost. Arrange the sausages, black pudding and tomato halves around it. Shake the excess grease off the bacon before laying it as a bed for the egg quarters inside the cup of the mushroom. Arrange the egg as shown at the top of this post and serve immediately, with HP Sauce or Tomato ketchup, as desired.

Sausage and Tomato Naan Bread Pizza

Naan bread pizza may just change the way you think of pizza for ever. Not only is it absolutely delicious, naan bread pizza is a fantastic way of using up leftover food items, including everything from the naan bread itself, to perhaps roast chicken, to - as in this instance - sausages. The items which can be incorporated in naan bread pizzas are virtually limitless and given that I presented a vegetarian naan bread pizza on this blog a few weeks back, I am now evening up the score with this sausage and tomato option.

It is possible of course to use tomato sauce from a jar for this recipe. If making your own, however, as I have done, note that it is vital you leave it to cool before spreading it on the naan bread. Otherwise, it will simply soak in to the naan, making it soggy and spoiling the whole effect of your pizza. Remember, therefore, to factor in around an extra hour to your cooking time for this purpose. Alternatively, make the tomato sauce the night before and refrigerate it.

Ingredients per Naan Bread Pizza

1 10" long naan bread

1 8oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
Salt and black pepper

2 sausages (precooked)
1 medium tomato
1/2 small red onion
2oz pizza mozzarella cheese
2oz cheddar or similar hard cheese
3 or 4 basil leaves for garnish

Method

Pour the tomatoes in to a small saucepan. Peel the garlic clove and grate it in to the tomatoes with a small hand grater. Season with the dried basil, salt and black pepper. Place on a high heat until the tomatoes reach a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until a lush sauce is formed. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside to cool.

The naan bread pizza will need to go in to a hot oven so put your oven on to preheat to 450F/220C before you start building the pizza.

Lay the naan bread on a large baking tray and pour the tomato sauce in the centre. Spread the sauce evenly over the naan bread with the underside of a large spoon.

These sausages which I had leftover were organic pork, Cornish cheddar cheese and tomato. Any type of sausage will do, however, provided they are precooked and ideally cooled. Slicing them at an angle as shown makes for bigger, more attractive slices.

Slice the tomato as thinly as possible and arrange the sausage and tomato slices in even layers over the tomato sauce.

The red onion could also be sliced and arranged in a layer. I prefer, however, to moderately finely dice it and scatter it over the pizza. The flavour distribution definitely seems to be better.

It is important that the mozzarella cheese used for any type of pizza is the firm type, normally labelled pizza mozzarella. The soft mozzarella, usually sold in ball form in brine, is not suitable for this purpose. The mozzarella cheese should be sliced and chopped and the cheddar or other hard cheese should be coarsely grated.

Scatter the two types of cheese evenly over the naan bread pizza. Season with some freshly ground black pepper. Put in to the hot oven for ten to twelve minutes until the cheese has melted and started to bubble. Garnish with the torn basil leaves and serve immediately.

Beef and Turkey Sloppy Joes with Homemade Fries

What are Sloppy Joes? That is a question a great deal of people outwith North America will be asking when they see the title of this post and one which I myself would not have been able to answer a mere few weeks ago. Sloppy Joes - for those who don't know - are an American comfort food, consisting usually of ground (minced) beef, onion, tomato ketchup or paste and a number of seasonings or sauces, served in a bread roll or burger bun. It was only when I heard reference to them on TV recently that I did a bit of Google work and discovered more about Sloppy Joes. As usually happens in such instances, I determined to come up with my own version and that is what follows today. Given that I have taken a few liberties with traditional recipes for Sloppy Joes, perhaps I should rebrand these as Sloppy Gordons...???

The quantities listed in this recipe will provide for two adult portions (or perhaps four child portions.)

Ingredients

1/2lb minced/ground beef
1/2lb minced/ground turkey
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 small red onion
1/2 stick of celery (narrow half)
1 clove of garlic
8oz (small) can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 soft bread rolls
4 large lettuce leaves
2 medium baking potatoes
2 tbsp coleslaw (optional)

Method

The homemade fries in this recipe are actually British style chips and it is necessary to start the chips first. Peel the potatoes and slice and chop in to chips. Add them to a pot of cold water, bring the water to a boil and simmer for five minutes only. Drain the chips through a colander and immerse them in a bowl of cold water, also for five minutes. Drain and put in to a Tupperware container and the refrigerator for half an hour.

Remove the chips from the refrigerator and pat them dry using a clean tea towel as shown above. Fry in hot oil for five minutes. Drain on kitchen paper, allow to cool and put them back in to the dried Tupperware dish and the refrigerator while you make your Sloppy Joes.

Put the beef and the turkey in to a large pot. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the meat is evenly browned. This will take three to four minutes. Thinly slice the green bell pepper and the red onion. Slice the celery across the way to a thickness of between quarter and half an inch. Peel and grate the garlic clove. Add the vegetables to the browned meat and heat for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time.

Pour the tomatoes in to the pot and add the tomato paste. Turn up the heat to bring to a simmer then reduce to simmer gently for twenty minutes. When the Sloppy Joe mix is about five minutes short of being ready, the chips should be put in for their second and final five minute fry.

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and lay two at one side of each serving plate. Cut the rolls in half horizontally and lay the bottom half on top of the lettuce. Spoon half of the meat mixture on to the bottom of each roll, deliberately allowing it to spill over the edge to help bolster the sloppy effect. Place the top of each roll gently in place.

The coleslaw is optional and if you prefer, you can serve your homemade beef and turkey Sloppy Joes purely with the homemade fries. Traditionally, Sloppy Joes are eaten by hand, so given that this was my first ever encounter with a Sloppy Joe, I felt obliged to eat it in the traditional fashion. Unfortunately, I chose to do so while wearing a white shirt - big mistake...

I was delighted the way these Sloppy Joes turned out and thoroughly enjoyed this new eating experience. I hope that this version appeals to you and that even if you are a Sloppy Joes expert, you will give this way of preparing them a go.

Turkey Burger with Greek Feta Salad

Turkey burgers represent not only a leaner, healthier option than beef or pork burgers, they in some way also seem a bit lighter and more appropriate to hot summer weather. This is despite the fact that turkey in many countries is most associated with the colder weather occasions that are Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe is for an all but one hundred percent turkey burger, with only a little seasoning added. Served with a crunchy and delicious Greek feta salad, it is perfect for serving on a summer's night as an alternative to the more traditional burger and fries.

Ingredients per Serving

1/2lb minced/ground turkey
1 tsp freshly chopped mint leaves (plus one extra leaf for garnish)
1 fresh bread roll (not a burger bun)
3 large lettuce leaves (or 1 whole Baby Gem lettuce)
1 medium tomato
3" cucumber
1/2 small red onion
6 pitted black olives
6 pitted green olives
2oz Greek feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp soured cream
1 clove of garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little vegetable oil for frying

Method

Place the turkey in to a glass or stone bowl. Add the chopped mint and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand before shaping the mixture in to a round ball. Flatten between the palms of your hands to an even thickness of just less than one inch.

Pour a little vegetable oil in to a non-stick frying pan. Bring up to a medium heat before adding the burger. Fry gently for ten minutes each side, to ensure that the burger is fully cooked prior to serving. Do not press down on the burger as it is cooking, as this serves only to force the juices out in to the pan, making your cooked burger drier and less tasty than it would otherwise have been. The only time it should be touched during cooking is when it is turned with a spatula at the half way stage.

When the burger is on to cook, start preparing your salad. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Shred them and add them to a large bowl. Finely slice the red onion and roughly chop the tomato and cucumber. Add to the bowl with the lettuce, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss lightly. Arrange on a large serving plate.

The feta cheese can be crumbled or diced with a knife, before being scattered over the top of the salad with the whole olives.

Spoon the soured cream in to a small bowl. Peel and grate the garlic clove in to the soured cream. Stir well and set aside.

When the burger is cooked, push the pan off the heat for it to rest for a few minutes while you half and lightly toast the bread roll. Lay the two halves of the toasted bread roll on the serving plate, next to the salad, cut sides uppermost.

Place the burger on the bottom half of the toasted bread roll. Carefully spoon on the garlic soured cream and tear the whole mint leaf in to rough pieces before scattering them over the top. Serve as is, or place the top of the roll carefully in place.

Pan Fried Fillet of Sea Bass with Buttered New Potatoes and Broccoli

Sea bass is a delicious eating fish but it can be fairly expensive. This means that it is doubly important to know how to cook sea bass in order to get the best value from your purchase. This way of cooking fillet of sea bass could not really be much simpler but it really brings out the natural flavours in the fish and is a perfect way of enjoying sea bass to the full.

The potatoes used in this recipe are new season Ayrshire potatoes from the West of Scotland. The potato varieties available will of course vary hugely by geographical location but you are essentially looking for small, new, salad potatoes.

Ingredients per Serving

1 fillet of fresh sea bass (skin on)
5 to 7 small new potatoes
1/2 small head of broccoli
5 or 6 fresh mint leaves
1oz unsalted butter for frying
1/2oz unsalted butter for potatoes
1 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wedge of lemon to garnish

Method

The first step is to get your potatoes on to boil. I would normally cook small salad potatoes whole and unpeeled. These particular potatoes were just a little bit on the large side, however, so although I didn't peel them, I did cut them in half. Be sure to add them to cold water and not hot, which should be seasoned lightly with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes until soft.

It was many years ago that I first heard it said that vegetables which grow below the ground should be started cooking in cold water, while those which grow above the ground should be started in boiling water. I have always found this a good rule to cook by and therefore the broccoli florets are added to a pot before a little salt and boiling water are added to fully cover them. The broccoli is simmered for seven to eight minutes and no longer.

Spoon the flour on to a large dinner plate and season with salt and pepper. Add the ounce of butter to a large, non-stick frying pan and gently melt over a medium heat. Pat the skin side only of the bass fillet in the seasoned flour. Shake off the excess flour and place it skin side down in the frying pan.

A fillet of sea bass such as this will not take long to cook. After a couple of minutes, you should be able to see that it is cooked almost all the way through. Turn the heat down to low and carefully turn the fish to cook for a final minute on the flesh side.

While the sea bass is cooking, the potatoes and broccoli should be drained through colanders. Return the potatoes to the empty pot, add the half ounce of butter and the roughly chopped mint leaves. Gently swirl to ensure even coating.

Plate the sea bass with a fish slice, skin side uppermost. Add the broccoli and potatoes to the plate. Garnish the sea bass fillet with a wedge of lemon and serve immediately.

NB - You will see from the image below that the skin, which should have crisped up nicely during frying, will easily peel away from the fillet with the gentle assistance of a dinner knife. This could even be done prior to service if desired.

Summer Salad Platter - A Hearty Meal for One or Side Salad for Four

If the summer heat is continuing to have an effect on your appetite and enthusiasm for food, this really simple summer salad platter may represent the perfect choice for your dinner tonight. It is served cold and the only cooking required is the boiling of the eggs. Alternatively, if you are in a similar position to me, (I am sitting typing this as the wind lashes the rain against my window on a fairly typical, Scottish summer's day) you may wish to prepare this salad and serve it as a side salad to a more substantial meal, for up to four people.

Ingredients per Platter

1 Little Gem (Cos) lettuce
1/2 red onion
4oz soft buffalo mozzarella cheese
12 pitted black olives
2 sticks of celery
1 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp canned red kidney beans
2 tbsp canned haricot beans
2 medium tomatoes
4" piece of cucumber
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, or other herb of choice, to garnish

Note: You may not of course have a sectioned plate similar to the one I have used upon which to serve your salad platter. If you are interested in obtaining similar plates, I will include some available options at the end of this post.

Method

Ensure that your eggs are at room temperature and not straight from the refrigerator. Place them in a small pot or saucepan and add enough cold water to comfortably cover the eggs. Put the pot on to a high heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for seven minutes. Take the pot to the sink and run cold water in to it for about thirty seconds, until the eggs are cool enough to be handled. Crack the eggs gently all around on a hard surface, such as your worktop. Shell the eggs carefully under running cold water. Add the shelled eggs to a bowl of cold water to cool them quickly. Allow at least twenty minutes.

Wash the celery sticks and dry them thoroughly. Cut any damaged ends off and discard. Slice the celery across the way to a thickness of around a quarter inch. This should leave you small, kidney-shaped pieces of celery. Mix with the raisins and add to one part of your plate.

Strip the leaves from the lettuce, wash and dry. Shred the lettuce leaves and finely slice the half red onion. Mix together with your fingers, being sure to separate the onion strands. Add to a separate section of the serving plate.

Dice the ball of mozzarella to about half an inch. Half each of the pitted olives. Mix together and plate.

The beans should be of the type canned in water. Wash them in a sieve or colander under running cold water. Shake dry and plate.

When you come to slice the cucumber, do so at a forty-five degree angle. This will give you slightly bigger slices and make for better presentation on the plate. Thinly slice also the tomato and - carefully - the hard boiled eggs. Arrange the tomato, cucumber and egg slices alternately in the centre of the plate.

The parsley or other herb should be washed and roughly chopped. Do not chop and chop away at the herb until you lose all the flavour in the form of a green stain on your chopping board. Scatter it over the salad serving platter, season with salt and pepper and your delicious summer salad platter is ready for the table.