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Written by Tony Carson

Category: Recipes

Created: 14 August 2019

• Sides
• Gluten Free
• Asian Recipes

The woods nearby are laden with Plums this year. We went gathering a few days ago and froze probably 3kg or so. Some of these will probably be brewed at some stage, if we don’t make sauces out of them first….

This was a supposed traditional Chinese recipe I searched out. It certainly was much sharper and acidic than the Plum sauce we are familiar with. Sue suggested that this could well be the foundations of the Anglicised Sweet and Sour sauce. Add a bit of Corn flour and a triangle or two of tinned Pineapple and you’d certainly be on the right tracks. Actually don’t do that!

Ingredients:-

 340g of Plums
 3 tablespoons Vinegar
 1 tablespoon of brown Sugar
 1 Onion minced
 1 teaspoon of Chilli flakes
 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
 1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger

Method:-

(1) Add everything to a pan. Our Plum were frozen solid but it doesn’t matter.
(2) Bring to the boil and then simmer for half an hour.
(3) Press through a sieve and remove the stones.
(4) Mix the remaining solid content back to the sauce.

We served ours over a few Salt and Pepper fried Pork loin strips (0.72p worth to be exact!)  on a bed of Rice noodles tossed with fried slicked Red Chilli and Savoy Cabbage…. 

Details

Written by Tony Carson

Category: Recipes

Created: 13 August 2019

• Quick and Easy
• Sides
• Gluten Free
• Indian Recipes

We’ve been at it again with the Bhaji mix! Courgette fritters are a “Thing” so are “Courgette Bhaji” now…. With a little Lemon juice squeezed over these worked pretty well with the Jalfrezi last night.

Ingredients:-

Courgette slices
100g Gram flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp ground Cloves
Juice of ½ a Lemon
Garlic Salt
Tomato Puree
½ tsp Turmeric
Salt

Method:-

(1) Mix the dry ingredients with enough water to make a stiff batter.
(2) Dredge the Courgette slices in a little Gram Flour.
(3) Heat your oil to a medium heat.
(4) Fry in batches and drain on kitchen paper.
(5) When you are ready to serve re-fry to heat.

The batter works as an insulator, so the Courgette retains a bit of bite inside, which is quite cool. Well warm, but not cooked to a sludge!
 

Details

Written by Tony Carson

Category: Recipes

Created: 11 August 2019

• Takes a bit of time
• Experiments
• Gluten Free

Sue often experiments with Pasty. We have Xantham Gum in the cupboard but we really aren’t keen on the “Soapy” taste it sometimes imparts. The Egg in this recipe seems to kill the odd Xantham Gum taste. This recipe is as good as any home made pastry with standard flour as far as I’m concern.

Ingredients:-

220g Gluten Free self raising Flour
110g Tapioca flour
85g Margarine
85g Lard
1 tsp Xantham Gum
1 Egg beaten
80 ml cold water
Salt to season

Method:-

(1) Combine all the ingredients in to a dough and kneed well.
(2) Cover with foil or film and cool in the fridge of at least 30 minutes.
(3) Roll out on a board.
(4) Use the board to slide the pastry over to top of your pre-cooked pie filling.
(6) Brush with Milk.
(7) Cook at 180C for 30 to 45 minutes until browned to your liking.

I had no part in this dish apart from the silly flowers on the top. Oh and eating the pie and really enjoying it!

Details

Written by Tony Carson

Category: Recipes

Created: 09 August 2019

• Takes a bit of time
• Turkey
• Gluten Free
• Ingredients Alphabet

No they don’t look great and we actually used Spring Green Cabbage leaves with the central vein cut out rather than Vine leaves….

“C” in our Ingredients Alphabet - Cabbage and Chilli

Ingredients:-

Tin chopped Chopped Tomatoes
Far too much Chilli flakes!!! ( Please see below)
Spring Green Cabbage leaves
Finely chopped cooked Turkey thigh
Rice
1 Finely chopped Onion
Mixed herbs
Cumin seeds
Grated Cheese
White Wine Vinegar
Garlic Salt
Onion Salt
Salt & Pepper to season
Oil

Method:-

(1) In a pan reduce the chopped Tomatoes, Chilli flakes, White Wine Vinegar  and season with Salt & Pepper. Add half of the sauce to an oven proof casserole.
(2) Blanch the Cabbage leaves to soften slightly, drain and allow to cool.
(3) With a sharp knife cut the central vein out so the leaves will roll easily.
(4) Toast the Cumin seeds and Rice in a little oil. Allow to cool.
(5) Mix the chopped meat, Rice, herbs, Garlic and Onion salt.
(6) Lay a spoonful of the mixture on one side of the Cabbage leaf and then tuck the ends in and roll.
(7) Place over the Tomato sauce in the casserole and repeat the process until all the stuffing ingredients have been used.
(8) Add the remaining sauce over the top, cover with foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 180C.
(9) Heat through but don’t allow the Cabbage leaves to crisp.
(10) Remove the foil, sprinkle the grated Cheese over and return to the over to melt slightly.

We dressed ours with a few sliced Peppers and served with scalloped chips. We like things with a bit of flavour but we went overboard with the Chilli flakes in the sauce on this occasion! But all is good!