West Midlands recipes
Courgette and potato bhajis
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Ingredients
- 300g onions diced
- 150g courgettes grated
- 200g Gram flour
- 1 egg beaten
- 300ml water
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmuric
- 4 tablespoons oil
Method
- Put the gram flour in a bowl, stir in the egg, spices and water, whisk until smooth, add the onion and courgette and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, divide the mixture into 12.
- Cook 4-5 at a time for 4 minutes each side until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining mixture.
Cucumber Salsa
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chillling time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ medium Cucumber peeled and sliced
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 1 medium green chilli de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Method
- Chop the cucumber.
- Mix together the chilli, garlic, vinegar and sugar.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour the mixture over the cucumber.
- Chill for 20 minutes.
Serve with some Pompdoms
Tandori chicken breasts
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Chillling time: 3 hours
Gas mark 5/ electric 190
Ingredients
- 4 skinless chicken breasts
For the Marinade
- 500g Carton natural yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon Tandori garam Marsala
- 1 teaspoon Garam Marsala
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 green chilli de-seeded and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon tomato puree
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 in piece root ginger finely chopped
- Tablespoon fresh chopped coriander
Method
- Blend marinade ingredients.
- Place chicken breasts in marinade. Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Remove chicken from marinade, place marinated chicken in an ovenproof dish. Cover with foil, bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for further 40 minutes until cooked.
- Garnish with coriander sprigs.
Serve with some Pilau rice
Chocolate, Orange and Cardamom Mouse
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 25 minutes + 30 minutes to cool
Setting time: 2 hours
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Arrowroot
- 400ml Fresh Orange Juice
- 2 x Cardamom Pods – husk removed
- Rind of 1 Orange
- 200g Dark Chocolate
- 2 tbsp Orange Liqueur
- 142ml Whipping Cream
- 142ml Double Cream
- 6 fresh orange segments
Method
- Mix together the arrowroot and 3tbsp of orange juice until smooth.
- Place the remaining orange juice, rind, cardamom, and sugar in a pan bring to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the arrowroot and bring up to a simmer and allow the mixture to thicken and become glossy stirring continuously.
- Add the chocolate to the orange mixture and remove from the heat allow the chocolate to melt. Add the liqueur cover with baking paper and cool for 30 minutes.
- Whisk the two cream separately until they form soft peaks, gently fold them into the chocolate mixture and transfer to ramekins.
- Decorate with an orange segment and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to allow it to set.
Winter Root Vegetable Soup
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 25g (1oz) Butter
- 225g (8oz) Leeks
- 225g (8oz) Carrots, chopped into 2.5cm chunks
- 225g (8oz) Potatoes, chopped into 2.5cm chunks
- 225g (8oz) Onions, chopped into 2.5cm chunks
- 1 litre (2 pts) Vegetable Stock
- 1 x 15ml (1tbsp) Fresh Parsley, chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Method
- Melt the butter in a large pan, add the vegetables and fry over a fairly high heat for 5 minutes until sizzling and golden. Add the salt and pepper and pour in the stock.
- Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes.
- When the vegetables are tender, carefully pour into food processor or blender and whizz until the desired consistency. Reheat and serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Slow Roast Belly of Pork With Creamed Herb Potatoes
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 ½ hours
Ingredients
- 1kg Boned Belly of Pork
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 celery stick, cut into 4cm sticks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 550ml Apple Juice
- 100ml White Wine
- 200ml Vegetable stock
- 1 tsp Fresh sage
- 1tbsp honey
- Seasoning
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180’c / Gas 4.
- Score the pork belly in a zig zag and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place all the vegetables, garlic, bay leaf, apple juice, stock and white wine in a roasting tray season, place the pork on top.
- Roast in the oven for one hour.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 140’c and cook for a further 2 to 2 ½ hours till the juices run clear. Baste the meat with the juices every 30 to 40 minutes.
- In the last ½ hour of cooking add the honey to the meat – do not baste at this point.
- When the joint is cooked and the juices run clear remove the meat and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile remove the bay leaves and put all the juices and vegetables in a food processor add the sage and whiz till smooth.
- Carve the meat and serve with the apple and vegetable gravy and fresh creamy mash potato.
Creamed Herb Potatoes
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1kg Desire Potatoes
- 50g Unsalted Butter
- 142ml Double Cream
- 10g Finely Chopped Chives
- Freshly ground Salt and Pepper
Method
- Peel and slice the potatoes and place in boiling salted water – simmer till cooked.
- Drain Potatoes add the butter, cream, chives and seasoning, break down with a potato masher.
- Using an electric whisk, whisk till smooth and creamy.
Sticky Toffee Nut Pudding
A moist nutty toffee sponge covered with lashings of creamy rich toffee sauce served with cream or ice cream.
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 - 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 175g (6oz) dates, chopped
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- ½ pint/300ml (10 fl oz) boiling water
- 50g (2oz) butter, softened
- 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 125g (4oz) plain flour, sieved
- 125g (4oz) self raising flour, sieved
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 125g (4oz) walnuts, chopped
For the sauce:
- 150g (5oz) butter
- 150g (5oz) dark brown sugar
- 150g (5oz) light brown sugar
- 200ml (7fl oz) double cream
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease eight individual ovenproof darole moulds with butter.
- Place the chopped dates in a large bowl together with the bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence, and cover with the boiling water. Leave to one side.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the date mixture and stir until all of the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Finally add the walnuts and stir through.
- Place 3 level dessertspoons of the mixture into each pre-greased darole mould, ensuring the mixture does not fill more than two thirds of the moulds.
- Place the filled moulds on a baking tray and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the puddings are springy to touch.
- Just before the pudding are due to come out of the oven prepare the sauce by gently melting the butter in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the sugar and cream and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To serve, turn out each pudding on individual plates by running the tip of the knife around the rim of the pudding mould. Pour over some of the sauce and top with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.