Bacon and Egg Salad – Part 2
I cooked the Bacon and Egg Salad, that I put up yesterday.
It was good and here’s picture to prove it.
Bacon and Egg Salad
Note that I used some Antoinette Saville gluten free bread for the croutons. They were fine, although I left them in the oven for slightly too long.
The salad was very good though!
Bacon and Egg Salad
This is another recipe by Sybil Kapoor in The Times.
Again, I haven’t tried it, but it looks like a good alternative to Salad Nicoise. I have changed the bread to a couple of slices of gluten-free bread. I use my own bread, which I make in a breadmaker using Dr. Schar’s Mix-B breadmix.
This is the quantities for four.
- 1 clove of garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 thick slices of ordinary white or sourdough bread – Change for gluten-free
- 450g green beans, trimmed
- 1 crisp green lettuce, such as batavia
- 1 tbsp white- or red-wine vinegar
- 4 free-range eggs, medium
- 200g back bacon, trimmed and diced
And this is how you make it.
- Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. In a bowl, grind the garlic with a little salt and mix in 1 tbsp olive oil. Cut the crusts off the sliced bread, then cut the bread into walnut-sized chunks and toss in the garlic oil, so they are well coated. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. If the oven is dodgy, lightly fry in a little extra oil until crisp.
- Top and tail the beans and drop into a pan of boiling water. Boil vigorously for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cool by spreading out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- Remove and discard the outer leaves of the lettuce. Separate and wash the inner leaves, then dry in a tea towel, and rip the larger leaves into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and 3 tbsp oil. Season to taste and mix in the beans.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and gently lower in the eggs. Keep the water simmering rather than vigorously boiling and cook for 6 minutes for a well-set white but moist yolk. Allow a minute longer if fresh-laid, chilled, or if you want them slightly more cooked. Drain, crack and cool slightly under the cold tap.
- Set a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and, once hot, add the bacon and fry briskly for 5 minutes, or until crispy. Mix the bacon into the beans with the lettuce and croutons.
- Quickly peel and halve the eggs. Mix into the salad and serve immediately.
It sounds good to me.
Chunky Minestrone Soup
This recipe comes from Sybil Kapoor in The Times.
I’ve posted it not because I’ve done it yet, but because it looks good and I don’t want to lose it. She says it is very adaptable and you can use any canned pulse, apart from lentils. As I need more pulses, that’s fine by me.
This is what you’ll need for 4.
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, diced
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 2 courgettes, chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- Piece of parmesan rind, plus grated parmesan to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 410g can cannellini, kidney or borlotti beans
- 2 generous handfuls chopped green cabbage
And this is the method you’ll use.
- You can prepare the vegetables as you’re cooking the soup. If possible, try to cut them into roughly the same size. Set a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the oil and, once hot, mix in the diced onion. As the onion softens, prepare and add the carrot, followed by the celery, garlic, potato and courgette. Stir occasionally.
- Let the courgettes soften for 2 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes. Fill the empty tin 3 times with water and pour it into the soup. Add the parmesan rind and some freshly ground black pepper. If you don’t have any parmesan rind, just add a little chunk of parmesan. Do not add salt at this stage.
- Increase the heat and bring up to a simmer, then cook gently over a low heat for up to 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker and more flavoursome it will get. If the soup gets too thick, just add more water.
- Drain and rinse the canned beans, and chop the cabbage into easy-to-eat pieces. Set aside. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add the drained beans. Then, 20 minutes before you want to eat, mix in the cabbage.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes and serve with grated parmesan and crusty bread. This tastes even better the following day.
I wonder if it’ll freeze for the winter.
Chilli Con Carne
This chilli con carne was pretty simple and came from the BBC.
These are the ingredients for 6-8. I halved it and made 3, of which I froze two.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1kg/2¼lb lean minced beef
- 250ml/9fl oz red wine
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 red chillies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 stick cinnamon
- good shake of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 beef stock cube
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 x 400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- wedges of lime, to serve
This is the method used.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
- Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further ten minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice, guacamole, sour cream and a big green salad.
The original recipe gives a few tips as well.
The chilli is much tastier a day or two after it’s cooked because the flavours develop and the texture becomes richer. Simply leave to cool, stick in the fridge and gently heat before serving. If you’re eating the chilli on the day you prepared it, any leftovers can be frozen in individual portions in well-sealed sandwich bags, then reheated by boiling from frozen in a saucepan of water for about 15-20 minutes until steaming hot.
I just froze the other two portions.
Haddock with Crushed Peas
This is a very simple recipe, that I got from The Times some months ago.
You’ll need these ingredients for two people.
- 300g frozen petits pois or fresh peas
- 2 haddock, cod or other firm white fish fillets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 2 sprays cherry tomatoes on the vine
- Best olive oil to serve
And this is how you do it.
- Put kettle on to boil. Use some of the water to cook peas and put the rest in the steamer pan. If you have no steamer, you could cook the fish in a hot oven for 10 mins, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon.
- Failing that, fry it dusted with flour in hot oil. If steaming, smear fillets with olive oil, place in steamer tray, cover and cook for 8 mins. Meanwhile, place tomato sprays in a frying pan/roasting tin and cook under hot grill for about 5 mins until they begin to pop but before they disintegrate.
- I spike each one with a pointed knife to stop them bursting. When peas are ready, drain and return to pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- Crush with a potato masher, tip on to warmed plates and top with the fish. Drape a spray of tomato over the top and serve with a swirl of olive oil and a lemon wedge.
The only difference is that I bake the fish in a little oil in the oven of the AGA.
Help From UK-Coeliac Yahoo Group
I belong to the UK-Coeliac Yahoo Group and when you need help, they will always give it. I asked for some freezable casserole recipes and I got this long reply from Moodthy.
I do all sorts of casseroles, and wanted to say you can get low fat sausages! Just ask your butcher to make em up of 100% lean meat 🙂
An easy way to add fibre is to chuck some lentils in to any casserole, I have packets of puey lentils, red lentils and also soya beans (but these need soaking first, while lentils are easy to chuck in). Chickpeas and red kidney beans are also great thrown in (you can buy these canned or soak them first if using dry). I love chickpeas in curries and Moroccan style stuff.
Moroccan Chicken Casserole
http://www.crazysquirrel.com/recipes/poultry/moroccan-chicken-casserole.jspx
You can substitute chicken breast for chicken thigh (lower in fat) and chuck some chickpeas in for more fibre. I use millet as a cous cous replacement.
Mediterranean style fish casserole
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/3676/mediterranean-fish-casserole.aspx
Soya Bean and Aubergine Casserole
http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-02l105.html
The soya beans could easy be substituted for another type.
Arabic Side Dish
This is an Arabic rice recipe that is rice, lentils and caramelised onion, it’s works great on the side of a casserole and it is the yummiest thing ever. Easy to sub brown rice for white, to get a bit more fibre in.
Thanks, Moodthy
Tuna with Beans and Tomatoes
This is a pretty quick and very good recipe that came from the BBC web site. I’ve done it a few times and always do it with line caught tuna from somewhere like the Maldives, as this is sustainable.
You’ll need these ingredients. Quantities are for four people.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 12 tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 350g baby green beans, trimmed
- 4 tuna steaks
- 10 basil leaves, roughly torn
This is the method to use.
- Preheat the oven to 390F/Gas 6. I use the bottom of the top oven on the AGA.
- Lightly mix the oil, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl then place ingredients in a large oven-proof dish.
- Roast uncovered in a hot oven for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
- Steam the beans until tender.
- Grill the tuna steaks until brown on both sides or just cooked through.
- Stir the basil into the tomato mixture and then serve the tuna with the tomatoes and beans.
It’s very easy to do and is totally gluten-free.
It seems to follow the pattern of being meat or fish with a sweet sauce.
Rahmschnitzel (Veal Escalopes With Cream)
This was one of those classics where I bought the veal escalopes from Waitrose and hadn’t a clue what to do with them. So I had to search for a recipe and then go back for the extra ingredients. The recipe came from Ichef.
But it was worth it. Although, it is a bit high in cholesterol. But I only have a meal like this once a month and I’ve been feeling down this weekend.
The ingredients needed are shown below. Quantities are for four people.
- 4 large Veal escalopes, pounded thin. I used a rolling pin.
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup of Doves Farm Plain Gluten-free Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup Dry white wine
- 8 oz Button mushrooms, wiped clean & sliced
- 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh chives or spring onions
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, grated
- 1/2 cup St. Helen’s Farm double goat’s cream. I used one of their small pots.
The method is as follows.
- In a shallow dish place the escalopes and pour over the lemon juice. Set aside and marinate for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove the veal from the marinade and dry them on paper towels. Discard the lemon juice.
- Season flour with salt, pepper & paprika. Place the flour on a plate and, one by one, dip the escalopes in it, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, melt 3 T of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, place the escalopes in the pan. Fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are lightly and evenly browned.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to the boil. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. With tongs or a slotted spoon remove the escalopes from the pan and place them on a warmed serving dish.
- Set the dish aside and keep warm while you make the sauce.
- Ad the remaining butter to the pan and melt it over moderate heat.
- When the foam subsides, add the mushrooms, chives or scallions, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the pan and stir well to mix. Cook the mixture for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
- Pour the sauce over the escalopes and serve at once.
It was good. But I made too much. Or at least too much sauce.
Fish and Tomato Gratin
Despite the moan last night, I did cook myself a nice supper. I got this recipe from then BBC web site and it is from the Sea Fish Authority. I actually used line caught haddock, from Waitrose, as this is the most sustainable way to buy fish.
I only cooked enough for probably two, so I halved these ingredients, which are for four.
- 450g/1lb haddock or whiting fillets, skinned
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 55g/2oz Cheddar cheese, grated
The method is as follows.
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. I use an AGA and put it on the bottom of the top oven.
- Lay the fish fillets in a greased ovenproof dish.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic and parsley and season well with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
It was simple and good.
Update – July 30, 2009 – I’ve actually started to cook this in a small dish just big enough for one piece of fish, two tomatoes, one clove of garlic and an appropriate amount of cheese.
Pork Chops Braised in Cyder
This is a recipe I’ve cooked many times. Note that I spell the cyder with a y. This is because I use the King of Ciders, Aspall. And they spell it that way.
The original recipe came from recipetips.com.
Applesauce is a traditional accompaniment to pork chops – but try this version which infuses apple flavour into the meat. I’ll agree with that.
The ingredients you’ll need for four are.
- 4 6 oz. pork chops, about 1″ thick
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups apple cider – I use Aspalls Cyder
- 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
I usually do one, so I would use an onion and a cup of cyder. I should say that the recipe doesn’t seem to be too critical as to how much onion, sage and cyder you use. More sauce is probably a good idea.
And this is how you cook it.
- Heat oil in heavy 12″ skillet.
- Lightly salt chops. Grind a generous amount of black pepper over each chop. Press pepper into chop.
- When oil is very hot but not smoking, add chops and brown well on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan. Add cider, sage and onion. Boil to reduce liquid by about half – about 5 minutes.
- Return chops to pan, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cover.
- Cook until chops are desired doneness – make a small cut to check. Center should be very pale pink. (If overcooked, chops will be tough and flavorless.)
- Remove finished chops to a warmed platter. If cider sauce is too thin, quickly boil down to consistency of syrup. Spoon over chops and serve immediately.
It’s good and it’s totally gluten-free.
The Anonymous Widower 