Cheesy Beef Burger

 

250g minced meat

3-4 thick slices of strong cheese

Flour

Salt, pepper and other herbs to taste

Butter/margarine/oil for frying

 

 

 

Shape the burger into a solid 7-10 cm burger. Gently cut the burger in half so that you have 2 burgers.

Sandwich the cheese between the 2 halves of burgers.

Make sure all edges are closed and that there are no holes in the burger.

Season the burger on both sides.

Sprinkle the burger in flour (both sides and the edges).

Gently fry for 7 minutes on each side.

Spatchcocked Chicken

Spatchcocking is a fowl slit lengthways, opened out, and cooked (usu. grilled) flat.

Place chicken breast-side down, with the tail towards you.

Using sturdy scissors or poultry shears, cut up along each side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go.

You could also remove the breastbone by simply cutting through the soft-bone at the top of the neck then run your thumb along the bone – into the chicken meat – on both sides to lift the breastbone out easily.

Turn over the chicken and flatten it with the heel of your hand (over the breast bone or where the breastbone used to be) so that the meat is roughly an all over one thickness.

If you don’t like the fat at the rear of the chicken just cut it off

Bend the wing-tips under the chicken.

Use two long skewers to secure the legs, by running them through the thigh and then diagonally through the breast and wing.

Marinate to taste and griddle or grill for 15-20 mins per side or roast for 40 minutes (depending on size of bird).

You could just par-cook the chicken – and freeze it for later use.

Microwave Cooked Apple

You will need a microwave oven. This quick cooked apple is ideal for breakfast or as a snack during the day. I find that by cooking the apple I remove the acid and I can eat the apple that way.

1 Washed and dried Apple Quarter the apple and core the quarters. Then quarter each quarter and place in a microwave container. Cook on max for 2½ minutes. That’s it. Indulge yourself by serving it with ice-cream or custard.

Fish Gratin

4-5 peeled and slices potatos 1 large leek cut diagonally ½cm thick slices 2-3 haddock filets cut into 1cm pieces 200-300 ml white gravy (white Bisto) 100g grated extra mature cheddar 1 stock cube Herbs to taste

Add the stock cube to hot water and add some herbs to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, mixed herbs, paprika) and parboil the potatos for max 3 minutes. Remove potatoes but add the leek just in and out don’t let it boil.
While the potatos are cooking make the gravy and add the cheese ensure its not too tick.
Grease the gratin dish then lay 1 layer of potatos (use ½), 1 layer of fish (use it all), 1 layer of leek (use it all). Poor ½ the gravy over the dish; then finish the last layer of potatoes. Add the remainder of gravy but don’t let it run over.
If you don’t have a lid put some foil over and place in a 200° oven for 45 minutes, then remove the lid or foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Served with peas or broccoli.

Sundried Tomatoes

1kg large Tomatoes Salt, Pepper and Herbs to taste Olive Oil

“Sundried tomatoes” can be made from tomatoes with or without skin – that is up to the individuals taste.

Procedure for peeling tomatoes:

You need a big pan of briskly boiling water and a big bowl of iced water or very cold tap water.

Lightly score tomatoes at the blossom end — that is, opposite the core end — with a shallow and small “x”. Using tongs or slotted spoon, lightly drop your tomatoes into the boiling water so that they are completely covered for 10 seconds. Remove tomatoes and immediately transfer into the cold water. Don’t leave the tomatoes in the cold water any longer than is needed to cool them down, a minute or two maximum.

It is this sudden change of temperature that will cause the skin to peel off really easily. The skin should quite literally come away just using your fingers to peel, if it doesn’t, pop them back into the boiling water for a few more seconds and then dunk them back in the cold water.

Procedure for making “sundried tomatoes”:

Preheat the oven to the lowest heat setting. Slice the tomatoes in half vertically and scoop out the seeds and the pulp. Keep the scoop-out for sauce/soup. Salt the insides and turn cut side down on a wire cake tray – leave to drain for about half an hour, then rinse and dry with kitchen towel.

Mix the crushed garlic with the oregano and black pepper. Spread this mix over the cut side of the tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up in (on baking paper) a roasting tray and dribble over olive oil into the tray. Do not allow the tomatoes to touch one another.

Cook in a low oven at 100C/200F/Gas mark-1 for from 3-6 hours but may take up to 12 hours depending on size. Check the tomatoes from time to time: They should remain rather flexible, not at all brittle and not wet or sticky.

(Smaller tomatoes will dry more quickly than larger ones.) Once dried, remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to thoroughly cool on cake racks.

Transfer the tomatoes to zipper-lock bags. The tomatoes will last indefinitely.

Rumtopf

A rumtopf is a tasty German concoction made with fresh fruit, sugar and rum. It is a preservation method in which fruit is fermented in alcohol and eaten later as a topping for various desserts. The word “rumtopf” literally means “rum pot”. The traditional way of making this beverage starts as early as the fresh fruit are available in spring / summer and ends with the last fresh fruit in autumn; today you can start it anytime because you can always get fresh fruit in the supermarkets. You can also use just one type of fruit e.g. plums.

Rumtopf is traditionally served during Advent or on Christmas morning.
Serve the fruits with its syrup (hot or cold) over ice-cream, cake, flan, puddings, or cheese cake, in an elegant dish topped with whipped cream or crème fraîche.
It can also be used as a side dish with any game meat.Strain the liquid and use the liquor for an after-dinner cordial or add two tablespoons of the strained liquid to Champagne for a unique and elegant cocktail or add 1 or 2 teaspoons of the liquid to a glass of white wine.

Rumtopf (rum pot) Recipe

Ideal fruits are:
Apricots (halves, pitted)
Cherries (any variety, pitted)
Grapes (sweet seedless red or green grapes are ideal)
Nectarines (halves, pitted)
Peaches (remove pits and cut in halves, quarters, or slices)
Pears (cored, peeled & sliced)
Plums (remove seed and half or quarter)
Raspberries (don’t wash). Raspberries will lose some of their red colour.
Red currants (removed from stem)
Strawberries (don’t wash, just remove stem & leaves).
Strawberries will lose their red colour.

Directions:

Wash and dry the inside of the Rumtopf.
Wash and dry the first chosen fruit.  (Don’t wash Strawberries and Raspberries.)
Remove any stems, seed and pits.
In a separate bowl cover the fruit with an equal weight of granulated sugar and allow to stand for one hour. (Example: 3 pounds of fruit and 3 pounds of sugar)
Place the fruit, sugar and any juices left in the bowl into the Rumtopf.
Pour in just enough rum to cover the fruit.
Weigh the fruit down with a clean saucer or plate
Cover the opening of the Rumtopf with plastic (to avoid evaporation) and place the lid firmly on top.
Stir daily until the sugar has dissolved then store in a cool place; away from heat and sunlight.

 Adding additional layers of fruit:
For each additional layer of fruit follow the instructions above but use only half as much sugar. (Example: 3 pounds of fruit and 1½ pounds of sugar.)
After the fruit and sugar has rested for one hour, gently add this mixture onto the earlier layer.
Do not disturb the original fruits.
Add more rum to cover the new layer.
Cover with fresh Saran or plastic wrap and the lid.
Throughout the summer, repeat the process for each new fruit until your Rumtopf is full.
Then allow the entire mixture to sit for another 4 to 6 weeks.
It is best after 2-3 months rest.

Fried/Steamed Vegetables

1-2 Carrots (peeled and cut into rings not too thin) 1 Large leek (cleaned and cut into 1cm rings) 1 tbsp oil, butter & water Grind the following herbs in a mortar: A pinch of sea-salt, 3-4 fresh pepper corn, a pinch of Cumin seeds, a pinch of Fennel seeds & 1-2 Cloves. Fresh grated nutmeg to taste

Heat the wok (on full heat 6); add the oil, butter, water & the herbs (inclusive the nutmeg) simmer until the butter is melted. Then add the cut carrots and lower the heat to 2. Stir the carrots until they are all coated with butter/oil simmer for 1-2 minutes then add the leek rings and stir. Cover with a lid and leave for 10-15 minutes occasionally stirring gently.